A Perfect Circle
by shannygoat
Summary: This is the final installment of the Perfect series. Marriage and children have a way of changing relationships and so does being on the road. WWE Superstars are loved by their fans, but their families at home, just need them to be there.
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Perfect Circle

Rating: NC-17. Strong language, strong sexual content, adult themes. This story is not intended for minors. **_This story contains femslash_.**

Summary: This is the final installment of the Perfect series. Marriage and children have a way of changing relationships and being on the road 300 days a year doesn't help, either. Dave Batista, John Cena, Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton are all loved by their fans and adored around the world, but the people closest to them, just need them to be there.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the original characters. The other characters are property of WWE and TNA respectively, to which I do not condone or receive any permission or endorsement from using their stage personas. The scenarios and this story is not meant as any disrespect; actually, it's a flattery. So thank you for not suing.

_A/N: Okay, I know I said I wasn't gonna post this until I finish The Concubine, but I have a short attention span. Anyway, I've done about five chapters already and it starts out slow. Mainly because I lost the original chapters when my old computer blew up, so this is the revised version from my memory and I have so many damn characters and couples to concentrate on, I haven't figured out how they all mesh just yet._

_After talking to a few people, I realized that I skipped over some major events in their lives when I ended Maintaining Perfection and those I asked said they wanted to read about them, so there will be flashbacks into each couples lives to touch on those things I skimmed over._

_Finally, this is the last installment of this series…I think; so I'm going all out on this one. I have no idea how long this will be or how long it'll take me to do it, but I have a lot planned; bear with me. And as I said before, this story will contain femslash. It will be tastefully done, but it is a coming of age story with regards to Alli. _

_With that, as always, I appreciate your support and I hope that you all enjoy this one as much as the others. I'll update more once I get my other stories done!_

_Xoxoxo_

_Shanny

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Prologue

**_R u busy_**

Dave Batista smiled when he read the message. He knew right away from the ring tone that it was his wife, Britain, sending him a text message. **_No._ **He replied.

**_Gonna send u a pic...Call me_**

Dave sat up on the bed and turned on the lamp. This day was not much different than the day before. Again, he had traveled to another city, did a signing, had a show, and retreated to another empty hotel room with a hard bed, rough sheets, and without Britain beside him to ensure a good night's sleep.

He looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It had already been a few minutes since he received her last text message. He wondered what was taking her so long and had half a mind to call her and ask her just that. But he knew that if he did, she would yell at him for _forcing_ her to tell him what she was sending him. It's not like he could have forced her into anything if he tried. She just lacked willpower when it came to presents or surprises.

Ultimately growing bored of waiting, Dave scrolled through the photos on his phone and smiled. The first picture had been taken on their first wedding anniversary. Britain was sitting on the couch holding up concert tickets. He remembered that day like it was yesterday.

_Dave walked up to Britain and wrapped his arms around her. It was hard to believe that they had survived their first year of marriage. Judging from how their first six months went, neither of them thought they would have gotten that far. "Do we have to go out?" He knew that she had planned this whole anniversary dinner for them, but really, he would have been happy just staying at home with her doing nothing._

_She looked at his face and her grey eyes danced wildly. "No. I was kinda hoping you'd wanna stay home."_

_He leaned her against the counter and pressed his lips to her neck. "So…what do you wanna do, if we stay home, all by ourselves?" He raised his eyebrow hoping that she was thinking what he was thinking._

"_Open presents." She smiled and shimmed away from him to retrieve his._

_Presents were not what Dave had in mind…well, he was hoping for one present, but it didn't come in a box; not yet anyway. "Okay…" He said to an empty kitchen and walked quietly into the living room. He took a seat on the couch and watched Britain bounce around the room before she settled next to him. "Who goes first?"_

"_Me!" She scooted up on the couch pillow and held out her hand and closed her eyes. If there was one thing Britain Weis-Batista adored, it was a gift. When she opened her eyes, Dave had placed a small wrapped box in her hand. Carefully, not to tear the wrapping paper, something he could never understand, she opened his gift. "Davey…this is beautiful." She looked at the diamond encrusted heart-shaped pendant dangling from a delicate chain and smiled. She let her fingers trace the precious stones as she opened the card. She didn't read it out loud; she couldn't. Instead she leaned over with tears in her eyes and kissed him. "I love you, too."_

_Dave cupped her soft cheek in his large hand and shook his head. "Don't cry…it's not a crying gift." He watched as she sat her gift on the coffee table, then he looked around for his. "Tell me you didn't wrap all of those golf clubs." He had been hinting for weeks that he wanted a new set of clubs; hopefully now he would finally have them._

"_You wish." She responded rolling her eyes. There was no way in hell she was going to buy him boring ass golf clubs for their anniversary. "I got you two things." The first thing she handed him, was an envelope._

"_If it's not clubs, please be a week at a golf resort." Dave prayed aloud closing his eyes in hopes that would make his prayer would be answered. He carefully opened the envelop and smiled. "Velvet Revolver…and backstage passes? You are serious?" His smile couldn't have gotten any bigger; at least that's what he thought. "Slash is a god! Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her. "So where are my clubs?"_

_Britain popped him upside the head and then she reached behind her to hand him his second gift. "This has been the hardest thing to keep a surprise." She handed him a small rectangular box and held her breath._

_Instead of opening it, Dave decided to shake it. He knew how much that pissed her off. He saw her hand come up to his head, out of the corner of his eye and he ducked to avoid the hit. After a few choice words from his beloved, Dave started the task of unwrapping the gift. He removed the top and stared into a box filled only with a white stick of some sort. It took a second for it to register and he could feel hundreds of things run through his body, but the tears that danced on his eyelids were the only things he could pay attention to. "Really?" He managed to squeak out._

_She nodded and smiled._

"_And everything's okay?" _

"_So far." She touched her hand to his cheek. "Are you happy?"_

_There were no words to describe what he was feeling. They had tried for almost a year to get pregnant and gone through one surgery, hormone injections, and were just about to try IVF. But now that wasn't necessary. They were pregnant. They were going to have a baby._

_He never replied, instead he wrapped her in a hug and felt the tears roll down his face. "I love you." He pulled back and sat her back on the couch placing his head on her belly. "Hey in there... I'm your daddy. Me and your mommy wanted you so much." He was on cloud nine. He was going to be a father again after almost eighteen years. It was more than he could ask for. _

_Dave looked at Britain and tried to contain his emotions. "How long?"_

"_Almost three months. I found out about two weeks ago." She had been biting her tongue for that long; it was a miracle._

_He did the math in his head. "So that means, it was either the skinny dipping night, or the night with…"_

"_Yeah, one of those." She knew exactly what night he was referring to. It had been one of those stints were he was gone for three weeks straight. He was only home for three days, but they managed to test out their new pool, his new truck, and that stripper pole that she claimed was for exercise in the basement. _

Dave hit the browser button on his phone again to the next picture, him holding up a sonogram and two fingers. That was the day when they found out they were having twins. He could still remember seeing the wide eyed expression on Britain's face and hearing his own pulse beat in his ears.

"_What?" Dave looked at Britain's OBGYN like she had two heads. He wasn't quite sure he had heard correctly, but it sounded a lot to him like she said that they were having twins._

"_Look." Dr. Allen pointed to the screen in front of the expecting couple. "There's the head of Baby A and that…is Baby B." Monique turned to Britain and smiled. "You're having twins."_

"_Two babies? We're having two of them?" Britain's range of emotions was all over the place, everything from fear to elation danced across her face. "Can I sign up for a C-section now? It's bad enough to have one vaginally; I don't think I wanna do two."_

_Dr. Allen laughed. "You'll be fine. We just want to monitor you and make sure everything's going like it should. Do you want to know what you're having?"_

"_No." Dave spoke up. He had known that both of his biological children from his first marriage were girls before they were born and the one thing he wished he would have done differently was to be surprised at their birth. "I want to find out when their born."_

_Britain nodded and squeezed his hand tighter. "We're having twins. Oh my God." She smiled looking at her babies on the screen. She had prayed for one, but two was truly a blessing._

Hitting the scroll button on his cell phone, he let out a deep laugh as he looked at the next picture. He took it the night that she went into labor. He could remember that day vividly and it always brought a smile to his face.

_Dave walked down the stairs in his home in a frantic search for Britain. She had been put on bed rest weeks ago. When he had woke up from the nap they were taking, she wasn't beside him. He checked the bathroom; there was no sign of her. He checked the nursery, she wasn't in there. He could feel himself start to panic. For all he knew she could have tried to run to the store like she had done a few days prior, which gave everyone in their family a heart attack. He checked the living room, the dining room, the family room…she was no where to be found. As he hurried into the kitchen, he let out a sigh of relief. _

_Britain was sitting on the floor next to the refrigerator with the door wide open. She had successfully rested the container of Cool Whip on her very pregnant stomach and was happily biting into a chicken leg. _

"_What the hell are you doing? You scared me to death!" He walked over to where she sat and watched in horror as she dipped the chicken into the desert topping. "What are you eating?"_

"_Chicken and Cool Whip. This is the best fucking thing I have ever tasted." She continued to dip and chew as if it were the most logical choice of foods ever created. _

_Dave pulled out the stool at the kitchen counter and watched her with caution. "I'll be so glad when you go back to eating normal food again. That's disgusting." He watched as she put a gallon of skim milk up to her mouth and chugged it as if it were water._

"_It's your fault." She said in between gulps. "If you weren't such a good shot, I wouldn't be eating this shit, now would I?" She shook her head as she tried to turn to grab the salsa from the refrigerator door. "No…you just had to knock me up…didn't you?"_

"_We both wanted this." He reminded her wondering what she was going to do with the salsa._

_Dipping her finger into the tomato based sauce, then scooping up a healthy portion of Cool Whip on top, she placed her finger in her mouth. "But twins? This shit is all your doing. And this is one…" She licked her finger then pointed to the side of her stomach. "the one on the left. When it's born, it's getting a spanking. I think this kid has ADHD…it won't keep still."_

_It was at that moment that Dave noticed the sharp intake of breath that she took and shook his head. "See, that shit is gonna tear your stomach up. You shouldn't mix Cool Whip with chicken and salsa. You're gonna be sick as a dog."_

_She reached out her hand for him to help her off of the floor. "I gotta pee."_

_And it was three hours later that she had stomach pains. They both attributed it to her mid afternoon snack, but when her water broke, they knew it was something else. That day had been one of the happiest days of his life._

Dave looked over at the clock again. Already ten minutes had passed since she had sent the first text message. He could only imagine what was going on at home. His sons, DJ and Mikey, were probably giving Britain a run for her money. Even though they were six months old and finally sleeping through the night, they were spoiled to death and neither liked to be out of her arms for more than a few minutes. _She probably can't get back to the phone right now._ He decided that he was entertaining himself with his trip down memory lane and continued to scroll through his pictures.

He smiled at the picture that was taken just one week after Britain came home from the hospital. After the birth of their sons, she was given a hysterectomy and was not able to move about or help out with the children. The only thing she was able to do until her body recovered from the surgery was nurse. Dave had taken on the task of playing Mommy and Daddy as well as nurse-maid to Britain. Finally after he had gotten the boys to sleep, he too closed his eyes with exhaustion. Both boys were asleep on his massive chest and he slept with one arm protectively over them. Apparently Britain had snapped that picture and Dave was pleasantly amused when he saw it later.

His cell phone ringing startled him the quiet room. He hit the button to receive the text message. A large smile danced on his lips when he saw his sons, both sitting up on their own, smiling and Britain's face in between theirs with an equally big grin.

They had grown up so fast. David Johan, DJ, was still bigger than his brother and was the spitting image of Dave. Everything from his wavy black hair, inherited from both of his parents, to Dave's tan skin and slanted brown eyes…there was no way Dave could ever deny his paternity to that child. Michael Christopher, Mikey, though looked like Britain at birth was starting to look more and more like Dave everyday. Only a few pounds lighter and a few inches shorter than his older brother. Mikey too had wavy black hair, tan skin, and slanted eyes, only his eyes were grey, like his mother's. And he had the cutest pointed chin that came from Britain herself.

Although he was elated by the picture and amused to no end, he couldn't help but to feel sad. His boys were growing up and he wasn't there to witness it. Dave slowly dialed his home phone number and listened to it ring on his end of the phone.

"Do you like it?" Britain's voice giggled as she looked at a copy of the picture on her laptop.

"What's with the big ass smiles?"

"They both needed to be changed. You know how much they love to stink…they take after you I guess." She settled herself back on the pillows and sighed. "So…what are you doing?"

Dave too laid down and closed his eyes. "Missing the hell out of you."

"When are you coming home?"

"Saturday. My plane gets in at seven." Even though Saturday was only two days away, it felt like forever. He had been gone this time for six weeks. The demands of his job were getting ridiculous. After being drafted back to Smackdown, his traveling schedule was more grueling than ever. Being that Raw was the more popular of the WWE brands, the superstars had a more relaxed schedule, but while on Smackdown, the superstars did more promo work. Even if he wasn't in the ring, he was at signings or interviewers non-stop. "What's going on there?"

"I finally got the boys to sleep. Alli's been a big help with them."

"Alli?" Dave was a little shocked that his youngest daughter had taken to helping Britain. Not that Alli didn't love her step-mother, or her little brothers, but Alli was more of the loner type. She was extremely close to her mother and lived with her, while his other two daughters lived with him before they moved out of the house. "She's hanging around?"

Britain closed her eyes and sighed. This was a conversation to have in person, not over the phone. "She's been hanging around a lot. I think something's going on at Emily's. She's been here every night for the last two weeks."

"Really?" Dave let out a sigh. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation with his ex-wife. Dave and Emily's relationship completely changed when Dave started dated Britain and again, with all of the drama that his middle daughter, Maddy, caused. "I'll talk to her when I get home."

"And after you do that, I've got a surprise for you."

He felt himself smile. He knew it would only take a few words before she would tell him what it was. "Oh yeah? What?"

"I can't tell you. It wouldn't be a surprise."

"Oh come on…you can tell me." He laughed when she grunted.

"Let's just say it involves, you and me and this bed and a certain new outfit that I bought." She laughed at his dead silence on the other end.

He let his eyes close as he thought about what she would be wearing and all of the wicked things he had wanted to do to her, but hadn't had the chance to in weeks. "Tell me more." His breath started to shallow as he felt his hand travel over the expanse of his stomach and down inside of his boxer, all the while listening to Britain's silky whisper giving him vivid detail of things to come.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I'm so excited that you guys liked the prologue. Every chapter won't be broken down to just one couple; I'm trying to reintroduce each couple to any new readers that haven't read the other parts to the story. Again, I feel bad because these first chapters are slow, but it's building toward something, I promise. And for those looking for info on Maddy and Randy, they pop up around chapter 5._

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Chapter 1

"Da…" A little hand slapped him on the knee and kept hitting him until he finally made eye contact. "Da…Da…Da…"

Jeff Hardy turned his head to face the small child using his leg as a drum and pushed the falling strands of hair out of his face. _So much for trying to catch a nap_. Cami was wide awake and apparently, she wanted something. "What do you want, angel?"

Camille Alicia Hardy was the most doted on, constantly praised, beautiful little girl that either of her parents had ever met. She was as much a part of him as she was of his wife. She had Chase's looks and little girl charm and all of Jeff's inquisitive and mischievous ways. It use to be a time when Jeff didn't think that he would love anything as much as he did Chase; that was until his daughter was born.

One of the downfalls of having a toddler was not knowing what it was they wanted. Children that young have limited speech, so it was a guessing game for their parents to decipher what it was they wanted. Cami's case was a little different; she was born prematurely and as a result was hearing impaired. She had surgery to build an inner ear, which helped her situation, but then she needed another to attach a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid to increase the sounds. Even though Cami was only partially deaf, she still didn't speak. She made sounds like she was trying, but where other children her age were saying single words, Cami rarely did.

Even with her hearing issues, she was still a happy, bouncy, and extremely active child. She was almost two years old and judging by how much stuff she got into now, the Terrible Twos were going to be the most difficult time in Jeff and Chase's life. Just barely tall enough to climb up on the couch, 22 month old Cami continued to smack Jeff's leg to get his attention.

Jeff sat up and picked the little girl up from off the floor. He watched as she squirmed out of his arms and placed her feet back were they were. She slapped his leg again and pointed behind him. He turned around to see what Cami wanted and sighed because there were at least four things on the shelf that she could have been pointing to. Lifting himself to his feet, he walked over to the shelf and pointed himself. "You want this?"

Cami didn't answer, instead she pointed again.

Apparently the pink rabbit on the shelf was not what she was after. "This?" He pointed to the Whiffle ball sitting next to the rabbit.

Cami was beginning to get flustered. She bounced on her toes and started to slap on the couch as her little face broke down. As frustrating as it was for Jeff to try to figure out what his daughter wanted, it was equally as frustrating to the toddler to tell her father.

As soon as Jeff heard Cami start to cry, he walked over to her and picked her up. "Okay, angel…let's figure this out." He kissed her blonde hair and carried her over to the shelf. At least now, she was of the height to touch what her heart desired. He watched as she pulled the wings from her Halloween angel costume down, knocking some other random items to the floor in the process. "You wanna be an angel?" Jeff nodded. It was fitting, she was his angel anyway. He walked back to the couch and sat down with his daughter.

The pink angel wings really didn't match the purple, red and white Wiggles T-shirt that she wore or the green Disney Princess Pull-up. But that's what Cami had picked out to wear. Jeff knew that if Chase were home, she would have a fit that it was already after one o'clock and Cami wasn't dressed. What was the point of getting dressed on a Friday if they didn't have anywhere to go? This was going to be a lazy day. All they were doing was lounging around the house, watching The Wiggles, Barney, Jo-Jo's Circus, and anything else Disney Playhouse had to offer. They already had their tea party, which really consisted of apple juice for Cami and a Sprite for Jeff. But the fact that it was served in her Pretty Princess tea set that made it special. All of her stuffed animals had been invited and they all had little plates of animal crackers that were of same species as the guests that they laid in front of. And of course, Jeff went all out for the tea party. He clipped a tie onto his Slaughter t-shirt that matched his blue track pants while Cami was still in a t-shirt and a Pull-up, but the purple boa, Elmo slippers and floppy flower hat that Jeff placed on her head, made her look elegant.

So now that breakfast and lunch were done and tea had been served, this should have been the time for them to take a nap. Only, Cami wasn't one for napping; not when her Daddy was home. Chase was the only one that could get her to nap, mainly because she made sure everything in Cami's life was structured. Jeff really didn't have discipline like that. Any and everything that Cami wanted to do, Jeff did. If she wanted to jump on her tryke and have he push her around the room, it didn't matter that it was nap time…Jeff pushed her. Daddies were supposed to spoil their little girls, right? Besides, he was on the road half of the time anyway. When he got home he didn't want to be the heavy...he just wanted to enjoy his daughter.

He carefully slid her pudgy arms through the openings of the angel wings and fixed them so they didn't hang over. Once the wings were in place, he walked her over to the mirror and pointed at them standing there. "Who's that little angel? Is that my Cami?" He watched his daughter smile happily at herself in the mirror and she touched the wings and laughed. He loved the way she covered her mouth with her dimpled hand whenever she laughed as if to hold it in. "You're so silly."

Cami squirmed and Jeff put her back on the floor. He watched as she ran across the living room and stopped each time the wings flapped against her back. Every time they did, she would turn to him and cover mouth with her laughter.

"Anybody home?" Jeff closed his eyes as soon as he heard Chase's voice. He hadn't cleaned up yet. The living room looked like Toys-R-Us on acid. But it was too late to do anything about it now. Instead, he walked into the foyer and smiled at his wife.

Chase Hardy was still as beautiful as the day he met her. It was impossible how much their daughter looked like her. If it wasn't for Cami's green eyes, he would have thought that he had nothing to do with her creation. Chase still looked like a little girl. At 5'5", long blonde hair, dimpled cheeks and dark blue eyes, he knew exactly what Cami would like when she grew up. "Hey, baby." He kissed her lips softly and watched as she put her umbrella in the stand by the door. "How was school?"

"Eh…I hate that class." Chase placed her backpack in the closet and turned around when she heard little footsteps running across the room. "Why are you still up?" She signed to her daughter. "What happened to nap time?" She knew Jeff wasn't going to put Cami down…he never did. She always thought it was suspicious that on the days she was with him, she would go to bed really early because she was so cranky. It wasn't until now, that Jeff was caught red handed.

Jeff shrugged. "We weren't tired."

"Sure you weren't." She picked the little girl up and kissed her. "You're an angel I see. Those wings match your Pull-up, nicely. What did you and Daddy do all day?"

Chase always signed when she spoke to Cami. It was what they learned in classes she and Jeff attended for dealing with a hearing impaired child, should be done. If Cami never learned to talk, at least she could communicate with them by signing. And if she did eventually talk, she would at least be familiar with the sounds of words. Now if she could only get Jeff to do it, she would be doing something.

"Oh, we ate, we played…we had a tea party. We watched some TV. We had a good time." Jeff walked into the living room and began the task of putting away all of Cami's toys.

Chase poked out her lip. "I missed the tea party? I love tea parties. Maybe after your nap, we could have another one." Chase started up the stairs with Cami, but stopped on the third step. "I'm going to up her down, okay?"

"Okay." Jeff nodded and bent back over to pickup even more toys. As soon as he was standing upright, he saw Chase motioning her finger for him to come closer. He laughed when Cami mocked the hand gesture.

Chase leaned over the banister and kissed him. "I didn't tell you, I love you, today."

"I love you, too." Jeff kissed Chase's lips again and smiled when he felt Cami's lips on his cheek. "And I love you, too."

"You sure you're not tired? I think I wanna a nap, too." Chase smiled at Jeff exposing those dimples that he couldn't get enough of.

He turned and looked at the living room. That mess would keep until later on. When Cami woke up, it would just get messy again, anyway. "Well…I like naps. I could definitely lay down."

"Good." Chase walked up the stairs, leaving Jeff at the foot of them to follow.

After only a minor protest from Cami and a negotiation to leave the wings on, Chase had the little girl asleep in her crib in no time. She turned out the light and cracked the door before walking into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. "She's getting too big for that crib. I saw this Princess toddler bed…I think I want to get it for her birthday."

Jeff laid on the bed with his hands propped under his head. "When the hell did I get this old?"

"You're not old." Chase kicked off her shoes and climbed up on the bed beside him.

He didn't agree. "I wrestle 300 pound men every night and I ain't never half as tired afterward as I am when I spend half the day with Cami. She's making me old."

Chase laid her head on Jeff's arm and her hand made its way under his t-shirt. "Welcome to my world. I get her 24/7. When I finally go to sleep at night; I'm exhausted."

Jeff turned his head to Chase and smiled lazily. "You're sure you want another one?"

"Don't you?" Her hand trailed a soft path up his sternum as she felt the muscles clinch beneath her touch. "I love being a mom. I'd love to have another baby."

Things were so different then they were two years ago. Back then when Chase found she was pregnant, she wanted an abortion. She and Jeff had broken up over it and when she decided to have the baby and just let Jeff raise it, that's when things started to change. It wasn't until Cami was born sick that she realized how much she loved her and would do anything make sure she had the life that she deserved. That had been the turning point in their relationship. It was at Cami's birth that Jeff and Chase got back together, where he proposed and she accepted, where they truly believed that they could get through anything together.

Jeff slowly worked the buttons on Chase's shirt while smiling at her. "I definitely want another little girl." They had been half heartily trying to have another child. They both decided that if it happened it happened and if it didn't they would enjoy the one child they were blessed with. It didn't matter if they family got bigger; they had enough love between the three of them that everything was already perfect. Another child would just add on to their perfection, if that were possible.

"Uh-uh…oh no. This time I want a boy."

"Why do you want a hard headed little boy?" Jeff scrunched up his face just thinking about having a son that God forbid would turn out like he and Matt were as kids.

"Because we already have a hard headed girl. I don't think I handle another one."

Jeff laughed. "She's not hard headed. She's strong willed. Just look who her mother is."

Chase's mouth hung open as she slapped Jeff on the chest. "I'm not strong willed."

"Bull shit. You're Dave Batista's daughter, how the hell can you not be?"

"Well…you married me and you're pretty easy going. I must not be that bad."

"Cause I didn't wanna be railroaded. I've seen how the women in your family get their way. It's just easier to give in then to fight a Batista woman."

She leaned her face up close to his and whispered against his lips. "I'm not a Batista woman anymore. I'm a _Hardy_ _woman_ now." She mocked his southern drawl when she said his last name.

"You're this Hardy's woman." He closed his eyes against the feeling of her breath on his lips.

"You're damn right." She concluded before kissing him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 

Britain Weis-Batista stood in front of the bathroom mirror and raised a cautious brow. Dave was coming home and she wanted everything to be perfect. She ran the brush through her hair and tossed it back over her shoulder, so it hung down her back. Although she hated wearing her long hair out, _he_ loved it. And truthfully, if he wanted to run his fingers through it, pull it, yank it or use it to command how their bed sport was going to go…she was down for it.

She hadn't seen him in six weeks and tonight she was going all out. She was ready to give him _everything_ is heart desired; repeatedly. If he wanted her to do that modified reverse cowboy thing, where her back laid flush against his chest; she would do without complaint, even though it was hard for her because of how massive his body was and she could never really keep her balance or find something to grab onto, which threw her rhythm...but it didn't matter. If Dave decided that he wanted to have her knees next to her ears and put all of his weight on her while she was contorted that way; she would do it and worry about being able to walk later. Even if he hoisted her up in that wheel barrel position, that he seemed to really have grown accustomed too lately; she would gladly accept it, even though it killed her arms.

Britain missed her husband. For weeks she had this ache just south of her stomach that no amount of batteries or attachments could cure. She missed the salty taste of his neck when she sucked on his Adam's apple. She missed the feeling of his fingers trailing the backs of her thighs, when her legs were wrapped around him. She missed the feel of his skin on hers and his weight pinning her down to the bed. She got goose bumps thinking of his heavy breath in her ear when he was looming over her, gently encouraging her. She missed Dave; plain and simple. And she planned on getting as much of him, as many times and as many ways as she could for the duration of this trip home.

Everything was set. She was wearing the skimpy peek-a-boo lingerie that she had bought for him, the new satin sheets were already on the bed, the candles were strategically placed around the room; all she needed now was him. And of course, he was already three hours late. Leave it to him to fuck up a romantic, slightly skanky night of passion.

Britain huffed and opened the bathroom door trying to convince herself that she wasn't going to yell at him for not calling her, but was greeted by his bulky frame instead. "Jesus!" She placed her hand over her heart to try to keep it in her chest. "You scared the shit out of me."

Dave laughed. "Sorry. I missed my flight and had to take a later one." He let his eyes fall from her face and noticed just how little clothing she was wearing. Whatever it was, it was sheer and black and the color played beautiful against her creamy skin. Yoga paid off big time. She had no trace of baby fat, even after having twins and a C-section, yet she had managed to keep her larger post-baby chest and those hips that came when the kids did. He had always thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Today, she was even more stunning. Dave's brows knitted and he blew out a steady stream of air just looking at her skin. He could feel his heart race in his chest when she turned around to give him a glance at the back of her outfit. "Is that mine?"

There would be time for the formal, 'hello how was your trip' conversation, later. Right now, Britain had other things on her mind. For a woman with her sexual appetite, not seeing her husband in six weeks made it almost impossible not to jump on him at that very moment. They would catch up, probably tomorrow; but right now…she didn't really care how his trip was, only if he was wearing underwear and how fast he could get naked. "You like it?"

He turned up his lip as he assessed the outfit. He loved it…especially upon closer examination and realizing it was crotchless. But if he knew anything, he knew his Britain. This was just the beginning. She always went all out when he was gone for so long. "It's missing something."

"You're right. Hold on…" She made her way to one of her two closets and returned with four inch stiletto sandals in hand. "These are new; I bought them especially for your enjoyment...and they were on sale. I wasn't about to put these on until you got home."

He watched as she slipped the sandals on her feet and he nodded happily. "That is beautiful." It was something about her wearing heeled sandals that did it for him every time. She could be wearing flannel pajamas and Noxzema on her face, but if she slipped on a pair of heels, she was the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes on.

Britain walked up to him and kissed him. "I missed you." Fuck the formalities and foreplay. There were other things that demanded to be taken care of.

He couldn't answer, mainly because he was trying to kiss her, push her back to the bed, and undress himself all at the same time. With all of the blood rushing from his head, he really couldn't remember words to respond adequately, anyway.

In record time, he had her on her back and all that was between them was the sheer material of her skimpy underwear and his boxer shorts. Kissing her was almost as fulfilling as being inside of her and he knew from the first time he had ever kissed her, he could do it forever. Feeling her arms wrapped around his back and her legs locked at her ankles around his waist, made him realize just how hard it would be to leave her again in seven days. A few days here and there wasn't cutting it anymore. The pressure was mounting, big time.

As soon as his lips trailed down her neck and his tongue ran between the valley of her breasts, the baby monitor alerted them both at one of their sons was awake and very unhappy. Dave rested his forehead against Britain's chest and whined. "Not now..."

"It's probably Mikey; he's been so cranky today." She patted Dave on the shoulder in attempt to get him to move.

"I got him." Dave pulled himself up to his knees and kissed his wife softly. "Don't move. I'll be right back."

She watched as pulled his pants on and walked across the room toward the door. "Tell him, if he doesn't go to sleep, he's grounded."

"He's six months old."

"So…he's still gonna get grounded. No Blue's Clues for him." Britain smiled and flopped back on the bed not hiding her disappointment.

Dave walked up the hallway toward the sound of the wailing baby. Taking a second to look at the crib on the left side, he smiled at the baby sleeping inside. Following the noise, he peered into the crib on the right side of the room and picked up his youngest child. "Hey Buddy…what's wrong?"

Mikey was so big now. Six weeks ago, he couldn't have been anymore than thirteen pounds, but judging his weight now, he was had easily gained five more. That didn't sound like much, but this being his fifth child, Dave knew that was pretty impressive. Dave talked to his son while he changed his diaper and settled him back into his crib with his pacifier. That beautiful baby showed every bit of love that he had for Britain. Both of his sons were living proof that a happily ever after was possible for him, no matter how many relationships he had screwed up in the past. All he could do was stroke Mikey's head and stare at his face while the baby closed his eyes.

As soon as Dave clicked off the lamp, the crying started again. "Mikey, Mikey, Mikey…you're killing me, Buddy." Dave picked the baby up again and rocked him in his arms. "I know you missed Daddy and I missed you guys, too. And, I _really_ missed Mommy. And right now... she's down the hall and she's wearing this little black thing and she's waiting for Daddy. Mommy's gonna start without me and Daddy's not sure he can hold out for much longer. So how 'bout it? Can you please go to sleep and I promise I will play with you guys in the morning?" As soon as he attempted to place the child back in his crib, he watched Mikey's face break down again. "You're not gonna cut me any slack are ya? Just wait. When you're older and you fall in love and it's just about to be magic time…I'm gonna call you constantly and make sure you don't get any either."

"He's a little young to be threatening him, isn't he Dad?" Dave turned to see his youngest daughter standing in the doorway of the nursery.

"Hey, Peanut." Dave walked across the room, still holding his youngest son in his arms. He kissed her cheek and stood back to look at her. "I didn't know you were here."

Allin Michelle Batista was a grown up. Dave didn't know when it happened, but apparently it did. She was a beautiful girl. She had just turned eighteen a few weeks ago and Dave was fortunate enough to have actually been home for her big day. She was five foot nine inches tall; with an athletic build from the years of multiple sports she played. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a French braid, like it always was and her sad brown eyes made her angular face look like a pixie.

Dave always wished that he would have been closer to his youngest daughter. At least close enough to her to be able to read her expressions; like he could with his other daughters. Dave's other two girls were daddy's girls that had him wrapped around their fingers. But not Alli. She always did her own thing. She was extremely quiet, that is when she wasn't fighting with her sister, Maddy. And Alli always looked like there was something she wanted to say, but just never did. Dave always knew that she was shy and he had hoped that she would grow out of it. And when she discovered sports, some of that shell slowly started to crumble. Alli came to life when she was playing. But take her off the field or away from the court, half of the time you wouldn't even know she was there.

Dave always wondered what was behind that content smile of hers. Even though she smiled a lot, no one would mistake her as being happy. She wasn't sad by any means, but she just seemed like there something else that she concentrating on. And now this quiet girl stood in front of him as a strikingly beautiful, mysterious woman.

When the hell did his kids grow up? It seemed like they were all growing up; only he wasn't there to notice it. With his oldest daughter married with a family of her own and his middle daughter away at school, Alli was the last of his little girls and at that moment she had been offered a full scholarship for basketball at Penn State and a scholarship for Lacrosse at the University of Miami. Pretty soon she would be gone too and he still didn't know where the time went. Then there were his sons. They weren't sitting up yet, or holding their own bottles, the last time he saw them. Be he'd be damned, if Mikey wasn't in his arms holding his own drink now, not needing Dave for anything. It was a feeling that knawed at his gut and he knew it would only get worse.

"I just got here." She stuffed her hands in the pocket of her hoodie and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry I didn't call…"

"You don't have to call. This is your house too… you live here."

"So how long have you been gone for?" Talking to Dave was weird for Alli. They had sports in common and he always made it to her games; but he was a father to her, not a daddy. Her father never missed a birthday or a holiday and was always just a phone call away, but Alli wasn't close to him. She loved him dearly and always wanted to make him proud, but she never really had much to say. She chalked it up to the years of listening to her mother tell her that he wasn't shit. That and he seemed to really like the fact that her sisters were girly-girls and whined and batted their eyes at him to get their way. Alli wasn't into all of that.

It hurt him to think about how much time he spent away from his family. "Six weeks. I can't believe they've gotten this big in six weeks."

"Yeah…they're getting really big." If there was one thing she adored, it was her brothers. The boys were so innocent and they didn't judge her. Not that anybody did for that matter, but she didn't have try to be what they wanted her to be. As long as she feed them and changed them, they loved her. "How long are you here for?"

Just hearing her ask that broke his heart. Alli got the short end of the stick when it came to having him as a father. He started wrestling when she was seven and was bodybuilding before that. For the better part of her life he was always traveling. That might have played a part in why his other daughters were closer to him; they had him longer. "I'm home for a week." Dave leaned against the windowsill and watched the uncomfortable way Alli shifted her weight on her legs. "Maybe tomorrow we can go for run or maybe shoot some hoops or something?" He raised his brows hopefully at his daughter. "Spend some time with the old man...catch me up on your life."

"That'll be cool." Alli walked over to Dave and took the baby from his arms. "Mikey doesn't look like he's going back to sleep anytime soon. I'll take him. I know Britain's been missing you like crazy and I'm sure you wanna spend some time with her."

"That's okay, Peanut…I got him."

"We're just gonna downstairs and watch a movie or something. He can watch me eat ice cream." Alli placed the baby up on her shoulder and reached into his crib to get his pacifier.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." Before she left the room, she turned back around to face her father. "Just don't be so loud that you wake up DJ, too. I don't think I can handle them both tonight."

"Cute, Allin."

"True, Dad."

"Thanks, Peanut." Dave stepped out into the hallway with her and kissed her head. "Love you."

"Love you, too." She walked toward the stairs and threw a sarcastic glance his way. "Good night."

"Smart ass."

As soon as Dave stepped into his bedroom, he was greeted by the soft scent of vanilla candles and the twinkling of the dim light that they provided. He let his eyes drift to the bed where he saw Britain, on her back, propped up on her elbows, with one leg bent on the bed, waiting for him. "Did you get him to sleep?"

"Alli took him."

She shook her head. "Something's going on with her."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. She really wasn't that talkative tonight." He closed the door tightly behind him and licked his lips as he unbuttoned his pants. "Besides, she gave me strict instructions to have a good night."

"Well since you were given an order, I guess you have follow through with it." Britain raised her other leg so that now both of her stilettos were flat on the bed and her knees were raised. Fanning her legs open and closed, she looked at Dave from between them. "So…are you gonna bring it here, or do I have and come and get it?"

He loved making choices when she put them that way. "Come and get it."

She crawled on her hands and knees down the bed and watched as he walked across the room toward her. If nothing else, she was glad that Dave was finally home.

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Alli sat on the couch still absently patting the pamper of the sleeping baby that lay next to her, on the cushions. She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she was still doing it. Alli let her eyes roam over the letters in her hands, as if the words were going to suddenly change this time when she read them.

_Dear Ms. Allin Batista,_

_I am writing to inform you that the athletic scholarship to Pennsylvania State University, that was offered to you has been recanted and given to another student. As you recall, there was a deadline for scholarship acceptance mailed out with your original letter formally accepting your admission to the school. Since we have not heard from you with regards to if you will be attending, we have taken your silence as a declination. _

_Our space for the new class of students has been filled. You have been put on a waiting list for incoming freshman, since we have reached our maximum of students for this year. If a space becomes available, we will notify you. However, you will have to wait until the following school year to reapply for any athletic scholarships. _

_Sincerely,_

_Mrs. Elaine Burgeous_

_Admissions Director_

There was more to the letter, but that was the only part that Alli could concentrate on. The correspondence she had received from the University of Miami, said almost the same thing. She had lost both scholarships and had been moved to a waiting list, simply because she never called either school back. She knew her parents were going to be pissed.

College was so expensive, especially since Chase and Maddy were both still attending. Granted, Jeff paid for Chase's schooling, but Dave still sent her money for things that she needed. Even if she was married, he felt that her education was his responsibility. And Maddy… she was just a fuck up. Somehow she had managed to fail three classes her second semester, which resulted in her having to take classes over the course of the summer. Alli knew her father hadn't planned for that.

Dave and her mom, Emily, had been so excited that Alli was offered scholarships. Chase had a few when she started school, but by her transferring, then changing her major, then taking a leave of absence because she had a baby, then going back and changing her major again...the scholarship offers, all but stopped for her. And unless there was a scholarship for partying...there was no way in hell Maddy would ever get one. Alli was the only financial break her parents were getting. And right now, her father needed one.

Dave had two new babies to worry about. Money wasn't tight in their house, but Britain wasn't modeling anymore either. Alli didn't know how lucrative Britain and Jeff's art gallery was, but she could almost bet that it didn't pull in the same kind of money that modeling did. The babies needed things…they were like little money sucking entities. She knew for a fact that they would be going to Catholic school, just as she and her sisters did. Dave and Britain would be saving for college for them, just like her dad did for his girls. This wasn't the time to be fucking up…but Alli couldn't help it.

She lifted her eyes to the television and felt her heart speed up. She watched an old match between Lita and Trish Stratus and her stomach tied in knots. That was why Alli didn't respond to either of the two schools she had applied to. She had no desire to go to college. Alli had a dream that started when she was a little girl. She wanted to be just like her dad; she wanted to do what he did. Alli, wanted to wrestle.

It was a shot in the dark, but it wasn't impossible. Randy Orton was a third generation wrestler, Carlito was too. Even Jimmy Hart's daughter was in the business now and doing quite well. Why couldn't Alli be the start of the Batista family of wrestlers? She was good...not that she knew how to wrestle. But she was an athlete. She was in great shape, she was good with discipline. She knew how to put in hours of hard work and excel at anything physical that she put her mind to. And this was the perfect time to get in the business. With Trish Stratus and Lita gone, there was only Mickey James, Jazz and maybe Victoria as female wrestlers that actually had any talent. Alli could go in there and really make a name for herself.

Sure, there were a ton of obstacles. Like, right now…her father wasn't that popular in the locker-room. She didn't know why, but that wasn't really important. His sudden change in attitude might make it harder for her to carry his name. Besides that, Alli didn't know the first thing about being a Diva. She wasn't "sexy" nor did she have the slightest idea what was sexy to a guy. She didn't know any schools that trained, or what that training entailed. But the more she watched that match, the more confident about her decision she became. This was what she wanted.

Alli balled the letters up and threw them across the room, making the shot in the wastebasket. She could do this. There was no doubt in her mind. If nothing else, she had connections. John Cena, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley…all of them were her father's best friends; they all had a place in the business and could help her. But more than likely that would mean her staying in Florida. She needed to get out, if for no other reason then to escape all that drama with her mom. She needed to be somewhere where she didn't know anybody so she could sort through all of the shit that had going on, by herself.

There was one other person she could ask. He would help and not question her. Jeff Hardy never judged. She was going to ask him; the worst he could do was say no. So with that settled in her mind, now all Alli had to do was find a way to convince her dad.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Okay people...I'm hearing ya. You want some Maddy/Randy gossip. They will pop up in the next chapter. You guys are demanding:-)_

* * *

Chapter 3 

The phone was ringing…that was a good sign. By the fourth ring, Alli started to feel her hopes fading away. Just as she resigned herself to leave a voice mail, she heard the distinct sounds of crying in the background and a southern drawl speaking gently.

"Cami…put that down." Jeff still hadn't acknowledged that he had picked up the phone. Probably because Cami's tantrum was too loud. "Daddy said no. You're gonna hurt yourself." Being the father of a willful child was difficult even on the best days.

Alli smiled when she heard her sister's voice float into the background and then soon the crying stopped. She couldn't help but to wonder what Cami had gotten into now. The last time she had gone to visit, Cami had managed to pull every one of the babywipes out of the container and wash the walls in the nursery with them. She also decided that one of Jeff's paintings needed more purple; so she helped her Daddy out in permanent marker on the parts that she could reach. That was a few months ago. She was bigger now and probably more inquisitive. There was no telling what she had gotten herself into this time.

"Hello?" Jeff started the task of righting the planter that Cami decided looked better lying on the floor. The mess of potting soil and milk, that Cami thought might help the plants grow, made a muddy puddle in the middle of the dining room carpet.

"Hey…it's Alli." Alli liked Jeff. He was always nice to her and sometimes he was just as quiet as she was. He didn't ask questions or offer unwanted advice. He was just content to sit and listen, much like Alli herself. "Are you busy?"

"Not really. Your niece is trying to tear this place up. I think Chase took her outside. At least, out there, if she destroys anything else, it won't be so noticeable." He smiled at Alli's laughter. "You want me to get Chase?"

"Actually…I kinda wanted to talk to you."

"Me?" Alli never called Jeff. They would maybe spend a minute on the phone whenever she called. The basic "how's it going" conversation was all they seemed to have. ""What can I do you out of?"

She chuckled. If nothing else, Jeff's laid back attitude helped put her at ease. She didn't want to seem like she was asking for a handout or that she was using his name for anything. But she had a goal and she was going after it. She just hoped that he would understand. "I know you and Matt don't do OMEGA anymore. But do you know anybody who trains or any schools or anything?"

Jeff nodded as if she could see him. "Yeah. Shannon's training some guys in Raleigh, right now. Why? You know somebody that's interested."

"Umm...I kinda wanted to check it out."

"You? You wanna train? That's great." Jeff's face threatened to split in half, he was smiling so hard. She was athletic and limber. She picked up things quickly and Alli wasn't the type to quit. She would be great. Jeff couldn't find a reason that she wouldn't excel. Then he remembered who her father was. "Wait…why are you asking me? Why not ask your dad?"

Alli had hoped that Jeff wouldn't ask that question. If she told the truth, she ran the risk of being turned down. Jeff and Dave were not the best of friends. They could at least be in the same room together and even utter a few words to each other, passing it off as a conversation. But, no one would ever mistake them for being chums. "You know. Dad wants me to go this soccer clinic this summer. I just want to do something different. I thought it might be fun."

It was weak and Jeff knew it, but it wasn't his place to say anything. "Well…I could call Shannon and see if he'll do it. I know he won't say no. And you could stay here, with us…"

"Really? You'd do that?" She had only hoped for a name or maybe a number, not that he would place the call himself. She would get to train and get out of Florida at the same time. It was too perfect.

Jeff walked to the back porch and smiled at Chase pushing Cami on the swing. He didn't like the fact that he was gone so much, leaving his two girls alone. Having Alli there would be good for Chase. She'd have someone to talk to about things other than stuffed animals and fairy tales. "Of course. I know Chase wouldn't mind. She'd love having you stay here for awhile. And Shannon's only got one girl; I'm sure he'd like another to spar with and stuff. Lemme call him and I'll call you back, okay?"

"Thanks Jeff. It really means a lot." She had called hoping for a chance, now she had the real possibility of getting trained by Shannon Moore. She would break into this business without her father's help. And when she did, he would be so proud of her determination.

If only she could make him see it that way.

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Dave smiled shyly and lowered his eyes. He was supposed to be feeding the boys, not flirting with Britain from across the kitchen. He couldn't help it. He was having flashbacks of the night before. The things she had done to him and let him do to her; the dirty way she talked and the way she moved...it was enough to plant a smile on his face just by looking at her. He looked up again and noticed how she never dropped her eyes and the slow way she bit her lip and let it easily drag from between her teeth. His smile got bigger and turned his head to the side to try to stop blushing.

"DJ…you got it all over me." Dave poked out his tongue in disgust when DJ slapped the spoon in the attempt to get more food in his mouth. Baby peaches went flying through the air and landed on Dave's face. Perhaps if he had been paying more attention to what he was doing and not imagining having Britain bent over the island, DJ wouldn't have gotten so impatient. "That's not the way to start a food fight. Aim at Mikey…not Daddy." He reached over and grabbed a paper towel to wipe his face, then he started the task of trying to clean off DJ's hands. He looked at his other son, who was happily sitting in the highchair playing the sticky mess on his hands and smearing it on his face in attempt to reach his mouth. "You guys are a mess."

"Maybe if Daddy wasn't so slow, you guys wouldn't be trying to help him, would you? No...you're never this messy for Mommy." She walked over to the high chair and started to clean off Mikey's face and hands.

"Well... maybe if Mommy's jeans weren't so tight…Daddy could concentrate." He gave her a devilish grin when she looked at him. "It's the truth. They're a little distracting."

Suggestively, Britain bent over and picked up the spoon that Mickey had dropped on the floor. She made sure to bend at the waist, so that her ass was in Dave's face and smiled when she felt his hand smooth over it. "It's the ass, not the jeans."

He pulled her in his lap, still letting his hands roam over her backside. "Boys…close your eyes." His lips grazed hers softly before he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. He could feel himself stiffen in his pants when he heard her sigh. "You know…we didn't get to use that new strap on thing you bought."

"You're home for six more days, buddy. It _will_ be used."

"Or we could put them down for a nap and use it now." His voice was silky whisper against her ear as he slowly pulled on her lobe with his teeth.

Britain giggled at his advances. He still made her feel like a school girl with a crush, even though he could piss her off like nobody's business. "Did you forget? You have a tuxedo fitting for the wedding today."

"X and John will be fine without me there." His tongue ran down her neck and over her throat when she titled her head back. "I wanna fit in you."

"You guys are disgusting." Alli watched enough of the porn fest that was about to happen from the doorway. "You're making eyes at each other. You're practically molesting her in front of these poor impressible children. Dad, you're old. That's gross."

Britain couldn't help but to laugh at Alli's disapproving look. When she looked at Dave, she didn't see him as old. Sure he was considerably older than her, but he wasn't old. Not with a body like that. Not with hands that knew exactly how to touch her or a mouth that could set her body on fire or an ass that she just wanted to have gripped in her palms at all times. No…Dave was not old. Kinky? Yes. Old? Not by a long shot. "Just wait. One day, you're gonna fall in love and you'll be making eyes across the room and groping whenever you get the chance, too."

"I better never hear about you making eyes at some guy." Dave's entire demeanor changed. Alli was his last daughter. He had lost the other two to the lures of sex and he'd be damned if Alli was going down that path.

Britain looked at Alli and then looked away. They never really talked about anything that Alli was going through, but Britain knew more about it than Alli thought. "You're so over protective. What if these guys came home with girlfriends?"

"That's fine."

Britain slapped him in the chest and shook his head. "That's a double standard. Alli can't make eyes at someone because she's a girl, but the boys can have girlfriends?"

"Right." It sounded logical to Dave. "She's my baby girl. She's the last daughter I have that hasn't been corrupted by some horny guy that'll never be good enough for her." He looked at Britain seriously and couldn't understand why she didn't get it. "Besides, you got too much going on to date anyway, right, Peanut? How's she gonna have a stable relationship when she's in the WNBA?"

"The same way you do with the WWE. You make it work." Britain could feel herself getting irritated with him. She hated the way he babied his daughters. They were grown women, not little kids that needed him to protect them from the world.

Alli walked away from them. She knew where this was going and she wasn't ready to have this conversation. "Hello? Guys…I'm right here. I'm still in the room." She always felt ignored. Even when she wasn't trying to be heard, she just wished someone would listen to her. "Besides, no one wants to date me, Dad. So you've got nothing to worry about." She grabbed the basketball from the floor by the back door and stepped out into the backyard.

Narrowing her eyes at Dave, Britain got off of his lap and kissed him harshly. "This conversation is not over. We're going to have angry sex about it later."

"Okay." Sex was sex…didn't matter if she was mad or not. He poked his tongue out at his DJ who was laughing at him before stepping around his wife. "I'm ready…just tell me when." He wiggled his brows and headed outside with Alli.

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"So…what's going on with school?" Dave bent at the waist and squared Alli with his eyes. "Check." He checked the basketball and ran around her easily taking a shot. "S…"

If it was one thing that pissed Alli off, it was playing HORSE with her father. He always won; he never took it easy on her. And that stupid strut he did whenever he made a basket, made her cringe. "That's not fair…you're taller than I am."

"So…you weigh less than me. You can move faster." Dave had played this game with Alli hundreds of times, but this was the first time he had ever known her not to try. She was distracted and he knew it. "You have to make a decision soon, right?"

"Yeah…I still have a few weeks." Lying was not something that Alli prided herself on, but it was better than the truth. She knew he would find out eventually, but why break his heart when he just got home?

"E…Wanna go again?" Dave dribbled the ball and watched as Alli shook her head and headed over to picnic table. Dave grabbed his shirt from off of ground and headed over to where Alli sat. "So…the basketball clinic in Mexico is starting in a few weeks. Mom didn't say anything to me about you going."

"I thought I'd skip this year." Alli found the water bottle in her hand terribly interesting. She'd rather read the label and study how it was affixed to the bottle then to look her father in the eye. "I was kinda hoping to go to North Carolina this summer. Spend some time with Chase and Cami."

Dave nodded. "That could be fun. But why the change in plans? You go to that clinic every year. I thought you loved it."

"I do…I just wanna do something different." Kicking the grass beneath her feet, Alli thought of a way to explain it. "Every year I do the same thing. I play every sport in school. I go away to clinics all summer. I come back and start training for fall sports. This is my last summer…before college…" Okay, so that was a lie, but it sounded good. "I just want to have some fun…get out there, meet some people; you know."

Dave smiled. Alli wanted to meet people. For someone as shy as she was, that was a huge step. "I think you going to visit Chase is great. But we still need to figure out what school you're going to. You need to know when you need to be back for training."

"I'll work on it."

Taking a healthy swig from his own bottle, Dave looked over at Alli. He didn't know how to broach the subject, but he figured he would give it a shot. Britain had told him in confidence that something was going on between Alli and Emily and he was about to break that trust. It had to be handled gently, though, or the relationship that she and Britain had started to build over the last few years would come crashing down. "So…are you and Mom getting along alright?"

Alli shrugged and dug the toe of her tennis shoe into the grass. "I guess." There was no way she was going to tell him what was going on at her mother's house. "I haven't seen her much lately."

"How come?"

"I've been staying here a lot. You've been gone for a long time and Britain needs help with the twins. She's been working a lot at her gallery; so I've been helping out. I just haven't been back home." As soon as she looked up at him, she dropped her eyes. She wasn't a good liar; not like Maddy. She knew that her father would be able to read it all over her face.

"I appreciate you helping out with your little brothers. I know Britain does, too. But if you want to spend some time with Mom, go ahead. Things'll be okay here. We don't expect you to be the nanny." Since her birth, Alli hadn't left her mother's side. She was like Emily's Mini-Me. It was strange for Alli not to be with her mother; even if she was helping out with her brothers. "How about we invite Mom over for dinner? We'll all sit down and go over your scholarship offers and decide where you're gonna go."

Alli's eyes got wide and started to cloud with tears. "That's not such a good idea, Dad."

"Why not?"

"Cause I don't want to, okay?" She raised her voice. Alli never raised her voice at anyone other than Maddy.

Dave was shocked. Alli seemed terrified at the idea of her mother coming to their house for dinner. It wouldn't be the first time, even though most other times ended with Britain cursing Emily out in Spanish. But they had gotten along when he was home last time. Granted, they were only in the same room together for ten minutes. But in those ten minutes there was only eye rolling and teeth sucking; no pot-shots or name calling. That was progress. "What's going on, Peanut?"

"Nothing, Dad. Everything's fine."

"Peanut…"

"Maybe I don't need help from you or Mom. I'm not a little kid anymore. I can make my own decisions, now. I can go where I want and study whatever I want. I can be whoever I want to be and I don't need you guys telling me that what I want and how I feel is wrong or have you talk me out of it. I wanna do some stuff on my own." She spoke in low voice trying not to show how upset she was. Not that she was convincing, with the tears brimming on her eyelids. It had more to do with not seeing her mother than anything else, but somehow Dave was responsible too.

He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew it was more than what Alli was telling him. "I just thought we could decide this as a family. I wasn't suggesting that we make the choice for you."

"A family? Right..." Alli stood up and looked at her father. "You're gone half the time, Dad. You have no idea what's going on with your _other_ family. Chase and Maddy are already gone and I will be too. Then you can concentrate the family that you really want."

Dave watched as Alli went back into the house. He was only going to home for six days and somehow he knew that wasn't enough time to fix whatever was wrong with his baby girl.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Randy and Maddy aren't cooperating with me, but this is for TheRealKellyAnne...I hope you enjoy it sweetheart.

Now, I normally don't plug myself...but I have to on this. I'm co-writing a fantastic slash story with the King of Slash himself, Reinvention. The title of the story is The Lies We Tell Ourselves. It will be posted under my name in a few days. Please...if you read slash, check it out, my smut and his brilliance...good lord! I'm also co-writing a story with TheRealKellyAnne...we don't have a title, but the story will be very true to life, kick ass, Orton fic...stay tuned!

Ok...on with the show!

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Chapter 4

_The night had been perfect. It was more than she had expected for her last night home. There was a candle-lit dinner at fancy restaurant and dancing, which she was getting better at. There was a moonlit walk on the beach with ice cream cones and then love making like she never had it before. Her body always went to another level with him, but this time she had an out of body experience. Maybe it was because she knew it was the last time in a long while that she would be with him. Maybe it was because she was more in love with him now than she had ever been. Or maybe it was just because of him. _

_Madison Batista laid on her side, trying to stop herself from crying. The last thing she needed was for her boyfriend to hear her. It was stupid anyway; this is what she wanted. The only problem was she wanted this before him, but now that she was with him, her dream seemed more like a nightmare._

_Randy Orton was Maddy's version of perfection. She had wanted this man since she was thirteen years old. The fact that he was ten years older than her and one of her father's best friends didn't bother her in the least. If nothing else, it gave her time to plan her attack, study his every move until one day, when she was all grown up, she pounced._

_Their relationship hadn't been the easiest. It was a lot easier than Chase and Jeff's though. At least her father hadn't beat Randy's brains out and put him in the hospital, like he did when he found out that Jeff was dating Chase. No, Dave only had a minor meltdown when he confronted Randy. It had more to do with the fact that he was dealing with the repercussions of cheating on and then potentially losing Britain, than the fact that he was fine with Randy dating his daughter, but it worked out for the best. _

_Randy and Maddy's problem had been Randy. Maddy was too young for him; he knew her too well. He felt like a dirty old man around her; she was still a senior in high school for crying out loud. Although she was eighteen, she was still jailbait. But then she kissed him and he took her to her prom…from that moment on he was fighting temptation. He found himself wanting this extremely forward young woman. He liked the fact that she was adamant in pursing him. He liked the fact that Maddy didn't give a crap what her father had to say about them seeing each other. He loved that Maddy's only concern was him._

_And the day that he told her that he was in love with her, she wanted to die. She was pissed that he missed her high school graduation and that he had this other bitch at his house when she went to find out why he wasn't there. But when he showed up in her living room and told her how he felt, she could have dropped dead...until they finally made love. That's when Maddy knew that she wanted to live. She had to, because she wanted to do that with him over and over again. _

_Just playing all of it over again in her mind made her cry harder, but this time it was accompanied by sniffles._

_Randy rolled over and draped his arm around her. "Maddy? What's wrong?"_

_She shook her head. College was a once in a life time opportunity for her. She had spent most of high school fucking every guy there, just for attention. She was so busy being popular that she all but flunked out and had only been accepted to one of the schools she applied for. The sad thing was she was smart; partying just was more important. She couldn't live in Chase's perfect shadow or with Alli's athletic prowess anymore. She just wanted someone to notice her. And Randy did. So why did she have to go away to school and ruin it?_

"_I'm fine." She tried to make it convincing, but when she felt him shift his weight to look over the back of her head, she knew she had failed._

"_Then why are you crying?" His voice was thick with sleep and his eyes had a hard time focusing, but Randy knew that Maddy was crying. Maddy didn't cry._

_She rolled over and looked at him. She loved Randy; she could tell him the truth. "I'm afraid to leave."_

_He laughed. She was crying at three in the morning because she was afraid to go to school? Why couldn't she get scared at nine? "You're gonna be fine."_

"_I don't wanna go to Baltimore. I don't know anybody there. And you're gonna be traveling and meet somebody else…somebody that has free time. And my dad…I'm not gonna see him as often, either. And Britain…she's the only one that gets me."_

"_Look at it this way; you'll be getting away from your mom and Alli." He tried to smile to lighten the mood, but it wasn't working. Randy pulled Maddy to his chest and stroked her hair. "Sweetie, this is a good thing. You're gonna go to school and do great. You're finally gonna show everybody how smart you are and not have to worry about being compared to your sisters. You'll make friends, you're gonna have fun. Your dad and Britain are gonna call you all the time…"_

"_But what about you?"_

"_Me?" He tugged on her hair to get her to look at him. "You got nothing to worry about. I got what I want; I ain't looking for it nowhere else. I love you."_

_Randy loved her, it was more than she ask for. Five years of wanting him to see her as more than Dave's daughter, as more than a little girl…it finally paid off. "And you'll come visit me…"_

"_And we can have sex in your dorm room." He raised his brow at that concept._

"_In front of my roommate…" She countered with a smile. It was amazing how Randy always made it better for her. People didn't give him enough credit. "Those girls are gonna be so jealous when they find out how lucky I am."_

"_You are lucky. Lucky I don't make you sleep on my couch for waking me up." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Now go to sleep. It's a long ass drive from Tampa to Baltimore."_

_By the time they had her settled into her room at Towson University, Maddy was a mess. "I love you, Daddy." She clung to Dave like it was the last time she would ever see him. Every time had ever told her that he was proud of her, she felt like that. Her father was proud of her. She knew Dave loved her, but that damn Middle Child Syndrome had Maddy by the balls. And she appreciated how Randy stood quietly to the side to let Dave and Maddy have their moment._

_She was determined to make the best of it. Everyone's hopes were riding on her. Randy was great and supportive, the feeling of wanting to be the apple of her father's eye finally subsided. Maddy was coming into her own. She was going to do this right and prove everyone who doubted her wrong._

That was then. Now, almost two years later, Maddy was still fucking up. She couldn't figure out how. She had everything she wanted. She had this great family with a step-mother that had been more accepting of her than her real mother. She had a father that finally saw her and that she knew adored her. She had two adorable brothers. She had an amazing boyfriend that tried every chance he got to spend time with her. And she had school, where she managed to fail three classes in one semester.

There was no reason for her to fuck up. But pledging interfered with studying, even though she promised Dave and Randy that it wouldn't. She had gone over though. She was now an active Gamma, one that was now on academic probation. Just hearing the disappointment in Randy's voice at that made her cringe. He took it harder than her father did.

But Maddy's failing meant more than a little disappointment from the men she held dear. It meant that she had to take summer classes and the vacation that she and Randy were going to take wasn't happening. His schedule wasn't flexible and she had finals that week they were supposed to be on a cruise in the Caribbean.

It fucking sucked. Sitting on her bed, staring at the walls wasn't making it any better, that's for damn sure. Maddy sucked in a breath and reached for her phone. There was one person that could make it all better. He always did.

Maddy needed to talk to her daddy.

"Hello?" Alli answered the phone on the first ring. She just knew it was Jeff calling her back. She was sadly disappointed when she heard the voice on the other line.

"Alli… let me speak to Daddy." There was no hello, no acknowledgment of her younger sister. Some things just wouldn't get better and the relationship between Maddy and Alli was one of them. They tried to mend fences, especially since Cami's birth was their fault. That fight, where Maddy pushed Alli and she fell into Chase causing their pregnant sister to fall down the stairs, started a chain of events. And though Chase didn't blame her sisters and was just thankful that, although Cami was born prematurely, everything was alright, it didn't stop Maddy and Alli from blaming each other.

Alli huffed and rolled her eyes. "No." Then she hung up. She knew Maddy would call back, but still it had to be done.

Cringing at the receiver, Maddy hit the redial button. As soon as she heard the other line being picked up, she started her rant. "You're such a little asshole. I wanna talk to Daddy."

"He's not here." Alli answered in annoyance. Even five states away, Maddy could piss Alli off. "And where the hell did you learn how to talk on the phone? You're supposed to say hello first."

"And you shouldn't even be there. You live at Mom's remember. Oh…but you can't go there, can you?" It only took an opening before Maddy jumped all over her sister. She was loving the fact that Alli and Emily were on the outs. Not that Maddy really got along with her mother; it was more about Maddy not liking Alli and knowing that Alli was her mom's favorite.

"Shut up. Call Dad's cell if you want him."

"What'd you do? Did mom find out that you pissed away your scholarships?" Maddy couldn't stop the chuckle in her throat. She had been ribbing Alli for years because she never had a boyfriend and played sports. There was just so much to joke her awkward sister about.

"You were snooping through my stuff? God, you're such a nosy bitch. I hate you!" Alli slammed the phone down angrily stomped up the stairs. She let out a frustrated scream when she heard the phone ringing again. Running to her room to grab the phone, she was on the war path when she answered. "Why the fuck do you keep calling here? He's not home!"

"That's it, isn't it? Mom found out?" For the first time in a long time, Maddy felt some compassion toward her sister. She knew what it was like not to be in her mother's good graces, not to live up to Emily's standards…to be a disappointment. And it also felt good to know that Maddy wasn't the only fuck up in the family. "What happened? Did she go ballistic?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you anything."

"I'm being serious, what happened with Mom? Does Daddy know?"

"Maddy, leave me alone. Go call Dad, or Britain, or Randy. I'm sure they wanna talk to you…I don't." She carried the cordless into the nursery and checked that the boys hadn't woken up due to her yelling.

"Well fine…screw you, too. I was just being concerned."

"You were just being nosy. If you wanna know what's up…call Mom." Alli placed her hand on her hip and craned her neck in a dare. "I'm sure she'd love to ask you how you managed to fuck up, yet again. What was it Maddy? Were you sucking too much cock to get to class on time?"

"You carpet munching dyke…"

"You retarded slut." Alli knew they could hurl insults all day, but she didn't have time for it. "I got things to do and I'm sure you have customers waiting…"

"Go to hell, Allin…butch bitch." Maddy's blood was boiling. She was going to knock Alli out the next time she was home.

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"Talk to me." His Randy's low voice carefully dragged out every syllable. It was something about the slow, lazy way he talked that Maddy adored.

"Hey, you…" It was amazing that the sound of his voice just made everything better.

"Hey Sweetie…what's up?"

She settled herself amongst her pillows and sighed contently. "Nothing. I was looking for my dad, but his cell's going straight to voice mail. I called the house and that fucking Alli…"

"Hey…not now. You called me; talk to _me_ not about about Alli." Randy hated the way Maddy and Alli went at it. He was like Uncle Randy to all of Dave's kids…well, except Maddy, because that was just nasty. "So what's good? You studying? Keeping it tight and holding it down?"

"I always keep it tight for you, baby."

A deep chuckle erupted from him as he casually changed lanes on the highway. "That's my girl. So, how'd the move go?"

"Good. I love being at the house. There's only a few of the sisters here for the summer, so we have this big place all to ourselves." She looked around the pink room and smiled. Maddy was one of the chosen few to live in the Gamma house for the next school year and since she was already there for the summer. "So, that means you can come visit me and we won't have any distractions."

Randy glance out the window at the signs on the doors. He knew that tuxedo shop was somewhere near. "I don't know when I can get out there; hopefully soon, though. But I really don't think I'll be staying at a sorority house."

"Why not? It's a great house."

"Because I'm still pissed about everything. You were doing fine until you pledged. They didn't care that you were failing or that rushing was taking you away from your classes. The fucking Gammas ruined our vacation."

"Whatever."

He parked his truck in front of the shop and turned off the ignition. He didn't want to start a fight, but he knew it was coming. "Look, Sweetie…I just really miss you and I was hoping to spend some time with you this summer. It fucking kills me that you're all the way in out there."

"I know." She felt guilty enough. She didn't need him to make her feel worse.

"If you have to be there this summer, I just wanna make sure you're doing what you're supposed to. You're still with those Gammas all day…what's stopping you from partying and hanging out this summer?"

"Gee…I don't know, _Dad_?" She didn't call him for a lecture. She called him because she was homesick. She hated when he got like that…all mature and stuff. "God, you're worse than my father."

That's something that Randy never wanted to be, worse than Dave when it came to his girls. Dave had this standard for them that was damn near impossible. That little comment cut Randy. "Damn…I'm not _that_ bad."

"Yeah, ya are. I know I screwed up; I know I partied too much and I'm paying for it now. Believe me. I wanna be home too. I wanna go away with you this summer. I know what I need to do, Randy. You don't have to keep rubbing it in." She sounded like a scolded child with him. His disappointment in her was worse than hers in herself.

And Maddy had the power to guilt him right back. He hated when she went little girl on him. It made him feel like he was treating her like a child, which was something he vowed to never do. She was twenty years old, not five. She was young, he had been young once…he still was; he understood. It just never seemed to come across that way. "I'm sorry, Sweetie. I didn't mean it like that." He rested his head against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. "I haven't seen you in almost two months. I miss those brown eyes and those dimples. I have the worst fucking case of blue balls right now. I'm fucking dying over here."

Now that was the Randy that she adored, not that nagging Randy that he had turned into lately. "I miss you too, baby."

"I'm gonna try to come out there next week on my off days." It wasn't his ideal solution, but it was a solution. "Maybe we can drive up to Ocean City or something."

"I'll be here." It was better than nothing. Even if it was only for two days, she still going to get to see him.

Randy opened the door and stepped out into the hot Tampa sun. Squinting, he made his way to the front door of the establishment and shook his head when he looked inside. X and Britain were standing there sizing up Dave and John. He could only wonder how long they had been trying on tuxes. "Look Maddy…I gotta go. I'll call you tonight, okay? I love you."

That was good enough for her. "I love you, too. And if you see my dad, ask him to call me."

"You got it. Bye, Sweetie."

"Bye." Now if only next week would hurry up and get there, things in Maddy's world might seem normal again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Repost...sorry, I posted the wrong chapter.**

Chapter 5

"Dude, this is fucking bullshit! You're the one fucking getting married, not me. Why the fuck am I still here?" Randy turned to John and rolled his eyes. "All of these fucking tuxedos look the same. Why the fuck we gotta keep trying this shit on?" Spending hours shopping was not something that Randy, Dave, or John were interested in. It didn't matter how stylish or fashionable they were or how much of metrosexual Dave was, constantly trying on clothes was definitely a girl thing.

John hung his head and looked over at his friend with sympathy. "If I could leave, I would, trust…" He stepped out of the fitting room and sighed like a child as soon as his fiancé came into view. "What about this one?"

Xaviera Christina Perez lifted her eyes and frowned. She stood up and tugged on his jacket. "You look tight up." She pushed him until he turned around and she lifted the tail on the coat. "But your ass looks good in those pants." Turning up her lip and shaking her head, she looked over at her best friend. "What do you think?"

Britain curled her lip. "See, that's the problem with all of those damn muscles. You look stupid in the wrong thing. Keep the pants and put back on that jacket you had on before…not the one with the tails, the other one." She couldn't stop smiling when she heard John stomp back toward the fitting room, like a child having a tantrum. "Lord, have mercy." Her heart all but stopped, when Dave walked out to the floor.

It was a black Christian Dior tuxedo that looked like it was tailor made for him. Every stitch of fabric on that suit fit his body. Whether he was naked, in work out clothes, jeans and a t-shirt or suit; the man was beautiful. But he hadn't looked this debonair since their own wedding. "This is the one. I'm not trying on anything else." He put his foot down. Bridezilla wasn't driving him crazy anymore. So what if John was too much of a pussy to tell her that he was tired of this shit, he wasn't. He wasn't marrying her; she couldn't withhold sex from him. Dave had nothing to lose.

"I actually like that." X looked him over and nodded her head. "Now go tell Orton to try that one." She dismissed Dave with a flick of her wrist as she continued to look at ties.

"No…you tell him." Dave curled his lip up at her as he talked. Their relationship hadn't changed much. X and Dave were friends, not that anyone around them could really tell. Their time together was usually spent hurling insults at each other and giving each other death glares. "This is your circus…"

One hand went to her thin hip and she rested her weight on one leg. "You're supposed to be the best man. It's _your _job to make sure that all of the boys have their shit together. Now do your fucking job and tell Orton to try on the damn tux."

Britain watched as Dave's lips formed to say something ignorant to her best friend. Though she knew that Dave loved X, he was irritated and frustrated and if he said what was really on his mind, it would not be pretty. Luckily for everyone, Britain had years of practice in How to Get What You Want from Dave 101. She knew his hot spots and how to talk him down from an argument. She walked over to her husband and decided to defuse the situation the only way she could. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned up to kiss his chin. "You look _really_ good in that tux." She softened her voice and slowly batted her long lashes at him.

"Thank you." He never took his eyes off of Christina. She was two seconds away from hearing just how sick and tired they all were of her for a day.

"I mean..._really _good." She smiled playfully, trailing kisses over his jaw line. "We may have to take the long way home."

Dave's gaze dropped to wife's face and he paid particular attention to her raised eyebrow. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah." She dropped her voice to a whisper and let the tip of her tongue trace his lips. "And if you ask Orton to try on the tux…you might even get road dome."

How the fuck did Britain manage to do that every time? Dave wasn't a man that thought with what was in his pants, but she mentioned road dome…was he supposed to just say no? "Orton? Try on the Dior!"

Britain smiled, letting her tongue playfully glide across her bottom lip. "Thank you."

"No…thank you." He leaned down and kissed her hard, marking his territory, before swatting her on the backside and walking back in the dressing room. He couldn't help shaking his head at the sight of John sitting in the corner with his arms folded across his chest. "I told you not to fall in love with her. Did you listen? No. I told you not to propose. Did you listen? No. Now she's got you by the fucking balls. You're screwed. You're gonna be a whipped bitch for the rest of your life." If Dave was a whipped bitch, it was only fair that John be too.

Dave's words hit John hard. Forever was a long ass time. "You think so? Watch this."

Dave watched in horror as John took off the tux and put is street clothes back on. He shouldn't have said anything. He had only ragged on John because he knew that John was powerless in this situation and what better time was there to pick on your friends, then when they were helpless. He didn't think John would actually go through with it and put his foot down. It was almost too painful for him to watch the ass kicking that was about to happen. But he did. Dave stood by the dressing room door with a smile on his face as the fireworks ensued.

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She was beautiful; platinum blond hair, soft plump lips...even with her eyes closed, he could imagine those beautiful brown orbs looking at him the way she always did. Her breathing was even as he watched the way her breasts rose and fell beneath the black tank top she was wearing.

In all truthfulness, John should have been glad that his fiancé was asleep. Lord knows they hadn't been getting along that well lately. It seemed the closer the wedding got, the crazier X became. He couldn't figure this woman out to save his life. He guessed he shouldn't try. All he knew was he was madly in love with her, even if she was still cussing him out half of the time.

Their relationship was always complicated. It was a one night stand that turned into something weird, yet comforting, and it actually made John happy. Things got better after awhile, especially when he found out about her daughter. Ave was the ray of sunshine in John's day. Finally, he had someone to just be a big ass kid with. Although she was turning fourteen and didn't want to do all of the immature things that they use to do, Ave always made John smile. X, however, was a different story.

When X and her daughter moved from California to Tampa to be with him, he thought it was smooth sailing. But once the novelty wore off and X realized that she was living with a man that had never lived with anyone before, shit jumped off. John used to think he was easy going; that was until he realized how much he hated all the clutter of skin care products on his sink. But he loved X, he asked her to marry him; he could put up with it. She, however, couldn't put up with shoes under the table or him drinking from the milk carton.

Their days were filled with arguments over the pettiest of things, but their nights…those were filled with some of the steamiest, raunchiest making up that John had ever experienced. Dave had tried to warn him, that's what he was what being with a Latina was like. Britain was only a third Latin and her temperament was the same. It was that fiery temper and that equally fiery passion that kept him begging for more. John knew he was powerless.

From his place beside her, John shifted uncomfortably, trying like hell to ignore his erection. The way things had gone at the tuxedo shop, he knew there was no chance in hell that he would getting any tonight. But shit…it had been two weeks and he was hurting.

It really wasn't his fault. X was being Bridezilla again. She was getting on everyone's nerves. Really, how many tuxedos could one person try on? Orton was right, they all looked the same. They all meant that he would have to wear pants, a jacket, a tie, and dress shoes; he wasn't exactly jumping up and down at the idea. So maybe, he didn't mean to snap at her and refuse to try on anything else. He was just sick of listening to Dave and Randy joke him. _They_ found their tuxes in no time, but John? X insisted that he keep trying. He went on strike. It was his right, wasn't it?

It was stupid. No one would be looking at what he was wearing, anyway. Everyone at the wedding would be looking at her. And he still didn't know how he had managed to waste an entire afternoon on wedding stuff. Truthfully, he didn't mind the little visit to the caterer; the sample of the menu was the highlight of his day. But did he need to pick out table settings and stationary for place cards? And could he give a shit about the table cloths? The tux thing was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

The argument in the tuxedo store was nothing compared to the one on the ride home. Usually, he'd let her say whatever she wanted, but this time he had to retaliate. And now, he laid next to her in bed, hard as fuck, wishing like hell he had kept his damn mouth shut.

X felt John shift closer to her and she turned her body away from him. If he had half a brain, he would have kept his big ass on his side of the bed. She knew she wasn't being fair to him, but she couldn't help it. She was under a lot of pressure. He had done nothing to help her with their wedding plans. Everything, from the florist to the location, to the catering, to the music, was left up to her. In a way, she was glad about that. If he planned the wedding, they'd be married in a strip club and she'd be walking down the isle to Two Live Crew's, "Face Down Ass Up". But still, he could have been more supportive or a least pretended to be interested.

John dared to reach out and touch his hand to her stomach. He didn't know why he was holding his breath; maybe if he was quiet enough she wouldn't wake up and he could be in and out before she realized what was going on. When she didn't flinch, he took it a step further and gently trailed his hand up her tank top toward her breast.

"If you want to keep that hand, I suggest you move it." X never opened her eyes. She knew what he was after and she be damned if he was getting any, even if she wanted it, too.

He let out a frustrated sigh and wrapped his arm around her pulling her close. "Come on, Ma. I'm sorry."

"Go to sleep, John." That little display of machismo wasn't going unpunished. He needed to be taught a lesson. And though it was just as painful to her, it was the principle of the matter.

John pushed his body against hers. Her small 5'4" frame felt like it belonged against his. It was amazing that a woman that little could completely drive him insane and bring him to his knees at the same time. "You feel how hard I am? I couldn't sleep if I tried."

"Then you need to try harder."

He wasn't giving up that easily. He brushed gentle kisses against her neck and snuggled up as close to her as he could get. "Just a lil' bit?"

"Leave me alone." She rolled away from him and tried to get comfortable again.

But John was hot on her heels. The bed was only so big. She could keep rolling and when she ended up on the floor, he would right there on the floor next to her. "Please? Just let me stick in the head in…"

"What the fuck is that?" She was beyond annoyed by this time. "The way you were acting today, you want ass now? You're a dick."

John rolled to his back and looked at the ceiling. He huffed loudly and turned his head to her. "No…I have a dick that's gonna fall off from non-use."

X reached over to the night table and picked up the bottle of lotion and flung it over to John. "There you go. Use it all you want. Work it out."

John sat up and looked at her with frustrated eyes. "This fucking ridiculous. We're not even married yet and you're already holding out."

She sat up too and folded her arms across her chest. "So, is that why you gave me a ring? You just want ass all the time, no questions asked?"

"I'm about to take the damn ring back." How the fuck did another argument start? He was trying to make up, trying to show her that even though she was driving him crazy, he still wanted her. But he'd be damned if she wasn't pissed about that.

"You have lost your fucking mind, obviously. You ain't getting shit back. Fuck that...I've had to put up with your shit all fucking day, I've been doing all of this shit by my damn self. I deserve this fucking ring." She angrily ripped the covers from her body and stood up. "Why the fuck am I talking to you? You don't care. All you know is fucking work and when you get home, it's Ave and fucking Madden and Grand Theft Auto. That's it. When do you ever spend time with me besides when you have a fucking hard-on?"

That was it; he was convinced she had lost her damn mind. He had no idea what the fuck she was talking about now. "I'm with you all the fucking time. But who the fuck wants to be with somebody that's always bitching?"

"So I'm a bitch now?" She clicked on the light and glared at her extremely large fiancé. "I wouldn't be bitching if you would fucking help me!"

"Help you with what?" John ran his hand over his face in frustration. He should have had her on her knees, hitting it from behind by now. This was just fucking ridiculous. "Every time I try to help, you tell me to stay out of it!"

"I tell you to stay out of it because your ideas are fucking stupid! I don't want Timbaland spinning at my wedding." She walked toward the bathroom. She just needed him to be out of her face. She was going through too much to deal with his shit right now. He didn't understand; he couldn't understand. All of this shit was his fault.

John shook his head in disbelief. "This is your thing. So you decide how you want this shit to go. I made it a point to stay out of it a long fucking time ago."

She stopped dead in her tracks and craned her neck at him to stare him down. "What the fuck do you mean it's _my_ thing? Asshole, this is _our_ wedding."

"Since when? For the past month, I almost forgot I was supposed to be there. You ain't asked me a damn thing about what I want. You don't care. Everything's gotta be Christina's way. Well, I'm giving Christina her way and you still ain't fucking satisfied."

"Maybe I just want it to be perfect. Maybe I'm only getting married once in my life and I want to remember that day forever." Why couldn't he understand what their wedding meant to her? For a woman like her that didn't take shit from anyone, who didn't let people in, and who vowed never to fall in love again, marrying John Cena was one of the happiest things in her life. Why couldn't he just take it seriously? "Is it too much to ask that you act like you're a little bit excited about it?"

"How the fuck can I get excited when the closer we get, the crazier you act?" John got up and walked over to her and pulled her by the hand until he was sitting on the bed with her in between his legs. "Look, Ma. I wanna marry you. I wouldn't've asked if I didn't. But all of this shit? I don't want this. We been fighting about it for months and I honestly don't know if we're gonna make it these last few weeks. I want a wifey, not a big fucking wedding. I'da been happy if we went to Vegas and got married by Elvis or some shit. But you wanna do it in front of everybody we know. I'm cool with that. But just don't get mad when I don't give a fuck what colors we have or what kind of fucking flowers you want on the table. The only thing I'm excited about is knowing that I'm gonna have a family. This wedding is just bullshit to me."

She absolutely hated when John was sweet. It didn't happen that often, he was usually a prick, but God…when he was sweet she could just eat him up. "We're already your family." Her voice was almost a whisper and her once hard gaze softened considerably. She put her hands on his shoulders when she felt his come around her waist. "I just want everything to be perfect. You're it for me and I just wanted to go all out. I mean, how often does a girl like me get to live out her fairytale with her ghetto ass Prince Charming?"

"All I need is you and Ave and I'm happy. The rest of this don't really matter to me. So if you want this big ass wedding, do your thing. I want you to be happy, so I'm staying out of it. I'll be there, on time, in the fucking monkey suit, because I love you. I'm letting you have your dream wedding, let me have mine; one that I ain't got shit to do with."

X looked at his blue eyes and felt like shit. She knew she had been a little demanding, but he had just told her how he felt months ago, maybe she wouldn't have been so angry with him now. "Can you put up with me for another month?"

He nodded his head. "I plan on putting up with you for the next fifty years. God help me." He smiled and ducked out of the way of her slapping him. "So we're good, right? Can I have some ass now?"

"Fuck you, John." She said with a smile.

"That's the plan, Ma."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Cami had spent the better part of three minutes gathering mud and leaves and packing them in her red bucket. For a child of her age, that took a lot of concentration and was time consuming. Her yellow shorts were dirty and the mud ran down her legs and seemed to settle on her bare feet. Her blonde hair had leaves in it and the muddy stripes on her face matched her legs. The white shirt she had been wearing was now interesting shades of pink from the punch that she had earlier, brown from the mud, and orange…Jeff had no idea where the orange came from.

He sat on the bottom step watching his daughter as she placed the items in the bucket with as much care that a child of almost two could possibly have. She moved quietly, periodically looking up to offer Jeff whatever it was she had in her hand. All he did was nod as she smiled and placed the items in the bucket.

This seemed to be the most content that she had been all day. Chase and Cami had a particularly grueling battle earlier over her hearing aid. It appeared that Cami didn't want to wear it anymore. And every chance she got, she would detach the small device from the prongs that protruded from her scalp, letting the outside part hang down her shoulder. Every time that Chase would reattach it, Cami would detach it. It got so bad that Cami cried at the top of her lungs for all of Cameron to hear her. Finally after enough of the battle, Jeff picked up his daughter and took her outside. He knew Chase needed a break and Cami needed to do something to get her mind off of that hideous hearing piece.

What Jeff didn't share with Chase was as soon as they got outside, he detached the hearing aid himself and let her hair down from the ponytail she was wearing so that Chase wouldn't see. "_You don't need this, do you angel?" _He had asked her. He would do anything to feel her sloppy open mouth kisses on his cheek and the contentment of her snorting nasally giggle in his ear again.

With Cami busy for a few minutes, Jeff fished his cell phone from his pocket. He had meant to call Alli back days ago, but he had been busy. He had to travel to Virginia for a signing and then there was the meeting with a new artist that he wanted to feature at the gallery he owned with Britain. Calling Alli slipped his mind and felt like shit because of it. He smiled when he was greeted with a friendly voice on the other end of the phone. "Hey Britain…it's Jeff."

"Hey. How's life in Cameron?" She answered from the doorway, watching Dave teach their sons to clap for him when he came on the television.

Jeff looked over at Cami and shook his head when she reached over and grabbed a fist full of Chase's roses to add to her bucket. "It's pretty good. I'm heading out tomorrow. But I'll be in Florida on Thursday to pick up Alli. And I had a meeting with Jonas. You're gonna love his stuff, he's a sculptor."

"So we have a new opening? Do you know when? It just can't be that week of the 24th. That's John's wedding. I have so much to do that week." She tried to stifle a laugh when Dave showed his boys how to make a thumbs down and say "boo" when The Undertaker came down the ramp. He even took the liberty of tucking Mikey's chubby fingers in and turning his fist down to the floor to really drum it into the boy's head.

Jeff got off of the step and walked over to Cami. He took her bucket from her causing her to whine and chase after him. As soon as Cami was far enough from the rose bush, he handed it back to her and watched as the headstrong little girl walked right back to the place where she had been standing and started to pick at the bush again. "You're gonna get stuck by a thorn. Stop it." He pointed his finger at her, as if she cared. Cami was so much like him. Chase called it hardheaded, Jeff called it inquisitive. Either way, she was a handful.

"What's my Cam up to?" Britain asked with a smile on her face.

In an attempt to divert her attention, Jeff walked over to the kennel and let the dogs out into the yard. Cami always loved to play with the dogs, especially Liger and Lucas, since Jeff was dog sitting for Matt. He watched as she abandoned the forbidden bush and happily ran over to the dogs to show them what was in her bucket.

"She's about to get her hide skinned when Chase finds out she's destroying her rose bushes. Oh my God, Britain. She's so bad. You wouldn't think a little girl that small would be so bad. But besides that she's doing fine." He couldn't help his laugh. Truthfully, he wouldn't have it any other way. "Is Alli around? I was supposed to call her back earlier and I'm just getting around to it."

Britain walked outside to where Alli was washing her car. Trying to avoid the spray from the hose, Britain held out the phone to her. "It's Jeff."

Alli's heart sped up and she prayed silently for good news. She wiped her hands on her shorts and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Alli." He started his walk back to the stairs and sat down with a flop. "I'm sorry; I got busy and didn't call you. But I talked to Shannon and Chase and you're good. You can stay here, Shannon'll work with you. You'll need some equipment like pads and a helmet and a mouth piece, but I'll cover it for you."

Alli jumped up and down in place completely ignoring the strange look Britain was giving her. "Jeff, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. And I'll pay you back, I swear."

"No. Don't worry about it. I just want you thank me when you get your first Championship belt." He looked over and gave Cami hard eyes as the little girl proceeded to dump the bucket of mud, leaves, rocks and petals over the dogs. "I'll be in Tampa on Thursday, so you can come back with me. I booked our flight already. But I gotta tell you, Shannon's going to Japan in a few weeks, but he'll have someone there to help."

That gave her enough time to figure out if this was really what she wanted. "That's perfect. I'm so excited. Wait…you didn't tell Chase did you? She's gonna tell Dad."

"I thought you said he knew."

"Not really. He knows about the summer with you guys." She hated lying, but it was the only way. "He'll try to talk me out of it. Just tell her not to tell him. Please?"

Jeff watched in horror as Cami ran to him and smoothed her muddy hands over his leg and smiled. She was an absolute mess, but he couldn't resist that little snaggle toothed grin and that muddy dimpled face. He picked the dirty child up and placed her on his lap and tried to move his head so she wouldn't take the phone from him. "I'll talk to her. I gotta go. I'll see you on Thursday."

"Bye." Alli couldn't stop smiling. This was her big break, her big chance to get the hell out of Florida and find out who she really was. This was going to be a great summer.

"You're messy." Jeff wrinkled his nose at how dirty his daughter was. But that didn't stop him from leaning her back on his legs and blowing her on stomach. The way she laughed with one muddy hand over her mouth and kicking her muddy feet against his shirt leaving Cami prints in her wake, melted his heart.

When she sat up, she wrapped her small arms around his neck and pressed her open mouth to his cheek. "Da, Da, Da…" She knew what she wanted to say, but her brain didn't know how to tell her mouth anything more that those syllables. Instead, Cami did what Chase always did. She took her hand and placed it on Jeff's chest.

"I love you too, angel." He said kissing her cheek. "Now come on. We gotta get you cleaned up before Mommy kills both of us."

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Every burner on the stove was going. Steam billowed from pots and the smell of food filled the entire downstairs of the house. Something wonderful was happening in that kitchen and by the smell of things Alli knew it wasn't her father.

She walked into the kitchen and watched as Britain shook her hips to the music and cut onions at the same time. She paused for a second just to look at her step-mother and noticed how graceful she was at everything she did. She was barefoot, wearing cut off jeans and a tank top. She didn't have on any makeup and her long black hair was pulled to the top of her head in messy ponytail. Britain was dressed like she was about to do some serious housework, yet the way her hips swayed as she chopped vegetables and the gentle way she rested her weight from one foot to the other made her look dainty. When she reached for the spoon, she didn't yank it up like Alli would have, instead Britain's fingers feathered over it before holding it in her hand lightly. And the gentle flick of her wrist as she stared the veggies in the bowl…Alli knew she could never be like that.

Britain looked up and smiled. She knew that girl better than Alli thought. She wasn't like her sisters; they would just come out and ask when they had a question. Alli, she was more of the hovering type, like Dave. She would just sit there and watch and wait until someone asked her what was on her mind. Britain knew the game and she willing to play. She slid the plate of celery over to Alli and handed her a knife. "So…what's up All-star?"

"Nothing…" Alli started the task of cutting the celery, trying to think of how she could bring it up. "What's for dinner?"

"Stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. All that's left is the salad."

"That's my favorite." Alli smiled.

"I know. I figured we'd have something you like since you're leaving me." She poked out her lip, but couldn't help but to start smiling at her step-daughter. She noticed the uncomfortable look that Alli regarded her with and she instantly felt bad. "Alli, I'm glad you're going. You need to get out and try something new. You're gonna have a great summer. Just promise me you won't spend the whole time in the house with Chase. Promise me you'll try to meet some people, make some friends…"

"Can I ask you a question?" She let her eyes drift to Britain's then back down at her celery. "How do you 'be sexy'?"

"What?" Britain tried not to sound shocked, but that wasn't in Alli's character. "Come again?"

Alli couldn't let Britain know what was really going on. Although she trusted her, she knew that Britain always shared stuff with her father. But, she kept Jeff and Chase a secret and she kept Maddy and Randy a secret. Maybe she could let her in on it. But what if she tried to talk her out of it? Alli wasn't taking that chance. "To a guy…how do you become sexy to a guy?"

Britain raised her brow. This was _definitely_ out of character for Alli. "Is there a guy in particular that you want to be sexy for?"

"No. I just wondered. It's stupid, never mind." This was going to be harder than she thought. Even if Alli could make it as a wrestler, she wasn't sexy Diva material. She didn't know the first thing about sexy clothes or makeup, which was strange considering how uber feminine Chase was and how much of slut-butt Maddy was. Both of her sisters had that girlie thing down to a science, how was it that the feminine gene was lost on her? Alli wasn't masculine; she just wasn't prissy. She'd take tennis shoes over heels any day. And her idea of sandals was Tevas and Birkenstocks. Shorts and a tank top were her everyday attire, unless it was a special occasion, then she would wear jeans and maybe a t-shirt. According to Maddy that made her a man.

Britain put down her knife and looked at Alli seriously. "Sexy is how you feel. If you feel sexy, you'll be sexy. It's not about the clothes or showing skin or anything like that. It's what's going on the inside and it shows on the outside. It's in your look, your stare…it's all in the eyes. And you have very sexy eyes."

"Really?" If that was the case, why was it that nobody ever thought Alli was sexy? "So you don't really have to do anything?"

"Just be confident. The rest will come." Britain watched as Alli stood up and grabbed the silverware lying on the counter. "And Alli, you might wanna do something to your hair. It's just a suggestion. You have such beautiful hair; try wearing it out once in a while. It really brings out your eyes."

A huge smile broke out across her face.She rung her fingers together as she spoke. "Would you help me? Like maybe go shopping with me or take me to get my hair done?"

Britain ran over to Alli and hugged her. "Of course!" It meant more to her that she asked than what they were actually doing. It took seven years to build the fragile relationship that she and Alli had and if it took seven more until Alli completely trusted her, she'd wait. "We'll go tomorrow. We'll leave the boys here to bond with your dad and we'll have a girl's day out. Ooh, we could invite X and Ave. Go to the spa, have some fruity drinks, go shopping…it'll be great!" Britain loved a girl's day out, but since Maddy left, she really didn't have anyone to go with. She was going to make the most of this one. It was her first one with Alli.

"Thanks." Alli smiled and hugged her back. This summer was getting off to a good start. Now if only Alli could get on that plane without any mishaps, she was sure that the rest would work itself out just fine.

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It had been a good day. Dave got to enjoy the boys giving Britain a break. Alli actually asked her to take her shopping. She was able to convince X to take time off from wedding stuff to come out with them the next day for a total day of pampering. They had a family dinner where Alli actually laughed and talked with her father. The boys went down for the night without a fight and the house was finally quiet. It didn't get much sweeter.

These were the moments that Dave missed the most. Just lying in bed with Britain talking about any and everything under the sun; feeling her leg thrown over his, while her head rested on him and she ran her fingers over the muscles in his chest, put his mind at ease. And of course, his favorite thing in the world to do was to rub her hair across his cheek as he laughed with her, making it just that much more perfect.

"So…now that I've caught you up on everything here. How about you tell me what's going on at work?" Britain raised her head to look him in the eye. "What's all this shit going on with you and the locker-room?"

Dave shrugged his shoulders and blew out a breath. Somehow he knew that the warden was going to get in his shit about his attitude lately. "You been online again?"

"No. I've been getting phone calls from people who are concerned." It always pissed Dave off the way people would run and tell on him. They acted like Britain was in charge of him, or like he scared of her. He was...she did wear the pants in their family and would kick his ass when needed. But she wasn't the boss of him...at least that's what Dave told himself.

"It's hard to be there right now." He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it something about his job that slowly ate at him. "I'm just not happy anymore. I hate all of the fucking traveling. I hate being away from you and the kids so long. I have a marriage with you over the phone. Chase is gone and I haven't seen Cami in months. Maddy's away at school and I'm not around to make sure she's studying. I don't know what the fuck is going on with Alli and Emily. And the boys…do you even think they really know who I am? I just feel like my life is happening without me and I'm not here to enjoy it."

Britain considered his words and took a moment to think about what she was going to say. The solution seemed simple enough to her, but she didn't know how he would feel about it. "So quit." She noticed the face that he made and knew that she needed to explain. "If you're not happy at what you're doing, don't do it. I'd rather you leave now, while you've still got the respect of your colleagues, then to have you stay and no one be willing to work with you. If you burn bridges now, you'll never have their respect later."

"I can't quit, Britain. We've got bills to pay. I've got three college tuitions to worry about." He sat up when she did. This was going to be a serious conversation and he wanted to make sure she had his undivided attention. "I'm not happy with what I'm doing anymore, but I know that I have responsibilities."

"Dave, we're not broke. If you quit today or tomorrow, we'd be fine. That's one good things about having a father that was an investment banker. Since I was fourteen, he made me invest three quarters of all the money I've ever made." She didn't want to make it seem like she was telling him what to do. She knew that Dave was not about to touch their savings, but she wanted him to know that she would support him if that's he decided to do. "Our investments since we got married are doing great. We'll be okay."

"No. We're not touching the savings. Especially not when I _can_ work. That money is for the future." That was out of the question. That money was for when they retired and for the kids to have a nestegg when they died. It was something that his parents never gave him. "If I quit, what would I do? I don't have any skills. I didn't go to college…I barely graduated high school. What would we do for money? You've never been poor before, Britain. I have. It sucks ass. Chase and Maddy remember what it was like; I don't know if Alli does. But there was a time when I couldn't provide for my girls. I'll be damned if my boys are gonna know what it's like to be broke."

She could understand Dave's frustration, but she didn't understand why he wasn't even considering her in the choice of their future. Although she was just barely in her thirties, she was saught after for various projects. Designers still wanted to use her. TV shows, wanted her for guess spots and as a panel judge on modeling shows. Britain could help if Dave decided to quit. "Since when did I become unemployable? I made a really good living before the babies. If you decide to quit, I could go back." It really wasn't that big of a deal to her. But judging from how his posture changed, it was really big deal to him.

It was at that suggestion that Dave got out of the bed. He knew Britain would be supportive, but not at the expense of their children. "No." His voice was stern when he answered her. "You're not going back to modeling. You quit because you said that you wanted to be home with the kids. I'm not giving up my career to force you back into yours."

"You can be a stubborn asshole at times. And since when do you tell me what I can and can't do?" She hated when he went all OJ on her. Marriage was about compromise and sharing, not about him harboring all of the financial responsibility. "Dave... I wanted _one_ of us to be home with the boys. I don't really care who it is. I was lucky enough that my mom stayed home with me and Croix. I never had to worry about coming home to an empty house, or not having anyone to help me with my homework. Everyday, I had snacks waiting for me, when I got off the schoolbus. _That's_ what I want for the boys. I don't really care which one of does it...as long as they have one of us, all the time. If you wanna quit your job, do it. I'll go back to work and you can stay home with them. What's wrong with that?"

He honestly didn't have an answer. The truth was he was afraid to leave. He was afraid that he'd hate being home more than he hated being on the road. He didn't know what to do. "It's just…I don't know."

Britain knew that look on his face so well. She felt it all the time. "Dave listen, I'm scared too. I was scared when ECW merged and Rebecca came back to the locker-room. I was scared when you had that fight with Booker. I get scared every time you get in that ring. I'm scared to death that you're actually gonna stay home and you'll get on my fucking nerves. The entire time I've been with you, we've never had a relationship where you're always around. What if I don't like you after a month of you being home? I'm really scared about that, because I don't wanna get divorced." She reached her hand out to him and squeezed when he took it. "But I'm willing to try whatever because I hate seeing you like this."

Dave wrapped her in his arms. He loved this woman with all of his heart. He had no idea what it was that he was going to do, but something had to give. If he didn't quit his job, he was bound to get fired. There had to be a solution to all of this. The career that he once loved was now becoming his burden and he had no idea what to do about it.

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"Mom? Can I come home to get some stuff? I'm going to spend the summer with Chase and there's some things I need there….Please, Mom?" She could feel her eyes tearing at the harshness in her mother's voice. Her already soft, shy voice was fading away the harder she tried to force herself not to cry at what her said to her."But I just wanted...Please?…Yes ma'am. I won't come. I'm sorry I bothered you." Alli wished that she could patch things up with her mother before she left but judging by the tone of her voice, Emily wasn't interested.

It would only be a few more days, before Alli could start on her new life and she was sure it was going to be better than the one currently had.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

"Peanut!" Alli laid the shirt she was folding on the bed and looked over at the clock. It was almost eleven, entirely too late for her father to be yelling up the stairs for her. She opened her bedroom door and listened to her name being called again. "Alli?" As she started to walk down the stairs, she thought her heart would stop.

Alli looked at her father, then at Britain, the back to her father. Never once did she dare to look at her mom. "What's going on?"

"Why'd you bring all of her stuff over?" Emily had never been one to do things rationally, but there she was in the middle of the night, banging on the door with suitcases for Alli. The girl was only going away for the summer, not for an eternity and really, it could have waited until the morning. Dave looked at his ex-wife, then to his daughter, and he knew something major had happened between the two. He didn't know what the fuck it was, but he was going to find out.

"She asked for it." Emily folded her arms across her chest and glared at Britain. She wasn't in the mood to deal with her shit tonight, too.

"Thank you." Alli tried to find her voice, but her heart was beating so fast that she could barely catch her breath. Things had been going too smoothly. Her parents still didn't know about school or why she was really going to North Carolina. Her father still didn't know about what happened; she had been getting pretty good at this secret stuff, or so she though. She was only a few days away from just leaving it all behind her and now her mother was going to ruin it all.

Emily didn't address her daughter; instead, she walked into the dining room and sat at the table. She was going to settle this once and for all. She knew this was going to be a major fight and she might as well get comfortable for it. Dave had already been home for three days and not once did he call or voice his opinion on the matter. She wasn't in this by herself. He was Alli's father; she needed him to be in her corner for this.

Dave looked at Alli suspiciously, wondering what in the hell had transpired. When Alli dropped her eyes from his confused gaze, he walked to the dining room to get some answers. He watched as Alli followed Britain into the room and the way she kept her head down. Dave's eyes fell on Emily's and he noticed how she glared. "What's going you with you two?" Dave knew that Alli was shy, but not around her family and especially not around her mother. Emily was the one person that Alli always opened up to, now she was acting like she was scared to death to be in the same room with her.

"Nothing, Dad. Everything's fine." Alli spoke in a small invisible voice and never lifted her eyes.

"You didn't tell them?" Emily spoke up right away, shaking her head in disbelief. "I thought for sure, you would've run straight to Britain. That's what your sisters do. So now they just think I'm a bitch for putting you out."

"You put her out?!?" Dave raised his voice as his gaze fell on his ex. Sometimes he wondered how the hell he could have ever married her. She had become a completely different person over the years. That sweet young girl he use to know, was replaced by a bitter, demanding woman. "What the fuck for?"

"Oh, don't act like you give a shit. The only thing you know is the family you have in this house. You don't know anything about what's going on with your other children." She turned her attention to Dave and looked at him with disgust. "You wanna know what _your _daughter's been up to? I found a letter that _your_ daughter wrote..."

"Mom, please?" It was bad enough that her mom was mad at her, but her father too? She couldn't take it. "I left okay. I did what you said. Can't you just forget about it?"

"So what? She wrote a letter. I'm sure it wasn't bad enough for you to kick her out." Dave couldn't fathom what could have been awful enough for Emily to kick Alli out of the house. Parent's just don't randomly put their children out in the streets. Shit like that wasn't supposed to happen with his girls. They were good kids.

If it was one thing Emily hated, it was that Dave always took the girls' side before he even knew what the problem was. He always assumed she had overreacted. Well she didn't; not this time. "She wrote a letter to a _girl…_ telling her how she wants to kiss her and touch her and all the sick shit she fantasized doing with her. Don't tell me it wasn't that bad." Emily was disgusted at the idea of what Alli had suggested to her friend. "I don't want that kind of shit in my house."

It took everything that Britain had not to jump across that table and beat the shit out of Emily. She was supposed to be the silent partner when it came to Dave and Emily and their children, but she'd be god damned if she was going to sit there quiet over this shit. "You are the most insensitive fucking person I've ever met."

"I'm gonna tell you this one more time. These are _my_ kids. Mind your fucking business." There was no love lost between Emily and Britain, no matter how many years they had been around each other.

Britain slammed her hand down on the table and hunched her shoulders at Emily. She had waited for years to finally get on Emily's ass and now seemed like the perfect time. "And I'm gonna tell you this one more time. As long as any of _your_ children are under _my_ roof, they are my fucking business. She's a fucking kid. How dare you put her out of your house?"

Dave turned his head to Britain and questioned just how much about Alli she knew. It always pissed him off the way she shared secrets with them and from him. _He_ was their father; _he_ had a right to know what was going on in their lives. "Did you know about this?"

Britain rolled her head toward her husband and curled her lip up in disbelief. "Don't you think if I fucking knew I would've told you?"

"You probably did. You probably told her it was alright to do that shit. Oh _Great and Powerful_ Britain has the answers to everything. Anything you wanna do just ask Britain and she'll tell you it's fine. Well you know what? I'm not having a fucking dyke in my house." Emily said those words without any care for her daughter's feelings.

Alli still didn't raise her head the entire time she was in her mother's presence and she wouldn't now because the tears were starting. All she wanted to do was get on that plane and go away. Maybe the time away from her mother would give Emily time to cool off and when she got back, she'd be welcomed in her house again. Alli loved her mother and would do damn near anything to have their relationship be what it was. "I'm sorry, Mom." Her voice was so small and shaky that no one at the table heard her. Once again, everybody was talking about her like she wasn't there; even when she really wanted them to hear her.

"Is this why she wanted to go away this summer? Because you put her out your fucking house? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dave rarely blew up at Emily. He tried to be patient with her, but this was just too much.

Britain happened to look over at Alli and noticed how her shoulders shook as she tried to keep everything she was feeling to herself. Her heart broke for the young girl. She knew this day would come eventually, but she had only hoped that it wouldn't have turned out like this. "Alli, go to your room." She didn't need to be there with them talking about her. Britain knew this was going to be fight that would go down in history and Alli didn't need to be around to witness it.

"Don't tell her what to do. You're not her mother, Britain." Emily squared her shoulders and stared the taller woman in the eye. "I'm so sick and fucking tired of you thinking that run shit here _and_ at my house. These kids are mine. They don't have to listen to you. Listening to you is what probably what made her decide that it was fashionable to be gay in the first place."

"I'm not gay, Mom. I made a mistake. It was wrong, I know that. I never should have written it. It won't happen again, I don't feel like that anymore." Alli stood up slowly and started her way around the table. Even if it wasn't true, she just couldn't take the way her mother was looking at her or the tone in her voice as she talked about her. Alli just wanted it to be over and done with. "I'm sorry."

"Allin… go upstairs. Now." Britain didn't mean to sound so stern, but she really didn't want Alli to be around when the fireworks started. She knew that no matter how Dave felt about Alli's sexuality, he wouldn't stand for the way Emily was treating her. "I watch the way you make Maddy feel like shit because she can't live up to whatever standard you had. I'll be damned if you're gonna do Alli that way."

"Fuck you, Britain."

Britain turned to Dave who sat there glaring quietly at his ex-wife. She knew that the calm before the storm, but it didn't matter. If he wasn't going to say anything, she would. "I can't believe you used to use stick your dick in her. I want this bitch out of my house by the time I come back downstairs. Cause if she's still here when I come back, I'm fucking her up."

Dave pinched the bridge of his nose to try to calm himself. There was no way in hell he could understand Emily's motivation. Anything short of a homicide was forgivable when it came to his children. "Emily, what is your problem? That's my daughter."

"You don't need to remind me that she's your daughter. But, maybe you should act like her fucking father. You spend all of your fucking time traveling and when you come home, you're worried your _wife_ and your Wonder Twins. Tell me, when the fuck do you have time to worry about your _other_ children?" For Emily this was so much more than about Alli. It was about the fact that if Dave was more active in their lives, her children wouldn't have turned out like they had.

Dave was floored. Where in the hell did she get off questioning is loyalty to any of his kids. "I worry about _all_ of my kids. The girls might not always do what we want them to do, but they're good girls, Em."

"Good girls? They were, until you brought _her _around. I told you in the beginning she was a bad influence on them." Oh, Britain was the root of all evil as far as Emily was concerned. Every poor judgment that her daughters made, she could somehow trace back to Britain. "Chase was a straight A student…she talks to Britain and ends up with Jeff. She got pregnant and she wasn't married…she dropped out of school…now she's a mother and wife and she's 23 years old. Her life is over."

"What the fuck are talking about? You had Chase by another guy before _we_ got married! We were married at her age."

"And a lot of fucking good that did me. I put up with your shit for all of those years and as soon as you make it, you wanted a divorce."

Dave was convinced that Emily had lost her mind. She had to be crazy that was the only explanation. Did she forget how their marriage was? "Don't you even sit here and pretend like we had something good. You might have had a ring and my last name, but all we end up being were roommates that fucked…that it. Our marriage was fucked up and you know it. You didn't support me. You shit on every dream I had. But, when the money started to come in, then suddenly everything was perfect? Get the fuck outta here!"

Emily wanted to hit him. She wasn't a gold digger and yes, they had problems, but not enough to warrant a divorce. He was just like every other man. He had a wife that carried him and as soon as he was successful he dropped her and traded her in for a newer, younger model. "Fuck you, Dave. I did my best to make you happy and to take care of _your_ children that you didn't fucking see because you were too busy living out your dream. I did a damn good job with those girls until your slut of a wife came around. Maddy's a whore; she got it from watching the way Britain spreads her legs for you whenever she fucking wants something. Alli's a fucking dyke; I don't even wanna know what the fuck she told her was acceptable."

Dave stood up, placing his hands on the table and leaning in toward Emily's face. "Don't you _ever_ talk about my wife or my children like that again."

"You've got your her and your two sons. Do you even remember that you have three other children? Or are too busy with the family you have now to care that you're daughter is a fucking lesbian?" It was everybody's fault to Emily. Never once did she consider that maybe that's just how Alli was.

This conversation was going no where. If Dave didn't end it soon, he was going to hit her and he didn't hit women. "I don't have two families. I have five children that I love with all of my heart and right now, I don't really care what Alli wrote. What I care about, is that _my_ daughter is hurt because her mother doesn't want her around. No matter how I feel about it, I would never turn my back on her."

Emily snatched her purse in her hand and got up from the table. "I'm so sick of being the fucking bad guy when it comes to you. _Daddy let's us do this…we have fun with Daddy…Daddy and Britain do that…_I'm sick of trying to compete." She headed toward the door and through her words over her shoulder. "Jeff married Chase, so you don't have to explain why she got knocked up before she got married. Randy's your friend, so people don't ask questions about why he's fucking your daughter. How are you gonna explain away the gay one? I really wanna see how the fucking father of the year does that. Let her do whatever the fuck she wants, I don't care. I just don't want Alli in my fucking house anymore."

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Alli just knew that her world was coming to an end. It was bad enough that her mom knew; now her dad _and _Britain did too. Why did she have to call and ask to get some things? Why did her mom have to show up and tell her father everything? He was going to give that look, that look that he always use to give to Maddy when she did something wrong. Dave was going to judge her and right now, being there with him and Britain was the only sanctuary she had.

She just wished things were different. If she kept her feelings to herself none of this would have happened. She had always been shy and she only had a handful of friends and even with them she was quiet. She was an outsider to her sisters; she was the silent shadow of an obnoxious mother. She was the daughter of outgoing, exciting father and the step-daughter of a lively beautiful woman. Alli didn't fit in no matter where she went.

She wasn't blonde and bubbly like Chase. She wasn't sexy and conniving and good with boys like Maddy. She was plain and quiet and she kept to herself. The only thing she had was sports. Everything from basketball to softball, soccer, lacrosse, track, and golf, any and everything to required her to focus and not let down the team; that's what Alli was good at. This shit with interpersonal relationships was for the birds.

"Alli? Can I come in?" Britain called from outside of Alli's door. When she didn't get an answer, she cracked the door open and stuck her head inside. Alli was laying on the bed, facing the wall. Her shoulders shook as she cried and her soft sniffles could be heard even from the doorway. "Are you okay?" Britain walked over the bed and sat down. She dared to reach out and stroke Alli's hair. Even if she didn't want to talk, she wanted her to know that she was there.

"She hates me." At no time did Alli think about what she wanted, only about how her mother felt. "Now my dad's gonna hate me, too."

"No he won't. You're dad's probably shocked, but he's not gonna hate you. I don't think your mom does either. She's just angry." That was putting it mildly. What Britain really wanted to tell Alli was her mother was a bitch that was going to get her ass kicked if she was still in the house when she went back downstairs.

Alli turned her head toward Britain and picked at the strings on Britain's cut off shorts. "Do you hate me, too?"

"No. I'm disappointed that you didn't tell me what was going on. But I don't hate you." It had nothing to do with what Alli did. It was all about the fact that Alli didn't tell her that her mother put her out. That was something that Dave and Britain should have known. "Why didn't you tell me that you couldn't go home?"

She couldn't bring her eyes to look at Britain's face. Even though she said she didn't hate her, Alli didn't want to see that same look that her mother had on her face. "Cause you'd wanna know why. I couldn't tell you because I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"You think that I wouldn't have let you stay here because of that?" Oh, how little Alli knew about Britain. They weren't the best of friends, their relationship was hard, but Britain adored Alli. She would never turn her back on her. "Alli, this is your home. As long as your dad has a place to stay, so do you. I don't have that right, nor would I use it if I did. You don't ever have to worry about that."

Alli sniffled and wiped her hand across her face. She knew that Britain wouldn't have denied her a place to live, but she didn't want to take that chance. "I just wanted to go away this summer, to give my mom time to forgive me. I was hoping that by the time I came back, I would change."

"Why would you need to change?"

She should have known better than to finally try to open up to anyone. But she had held her feelings in for so long. "You know Nicole?" She watched as Britain nodded. "I had these weird feelings about her. I just wanted to know what it was like to kiss her and to touch her lips…feel her hair on me. I would think about her all the time and I would get kinda sick when I was around her because I knew I couldn't touch her… so, I wrote down how I felt." The more the she talked, the quieter her voice got. Alli's shell had always been comforting, but there wasn't much comfort she could get from it now. "I knew the kids at school wouldn't understand, so I never said anything. The night we graduated…I showed her what I wrote."

Britain watched as Alli's face grew still and she reflected on what had happened with her friend. She continued to stroke the young girl's hair, to make to let her know it was okay to trust her.

"She balled it up and called me a dyke. We don't talk anymore. But I swear I thought she felt the same way." It was bad enough to lose her best friend, but her mother, too? "My mom found it. She said she doesn't want a gay daughter and she told me to leave."

"Your mother's a fucking bitch." Britain wished she could take the words back as soon as she said them. Regardless of how she felt about Emily, that woman was still Alli's mother. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've said that. People have their own notions about sexuality…"

"I don't think I'm gay, Britain. I don't look at girls and think that I wanna have sex with them. I don't look at boys that way either. It was just something about _her_." Alli shook her head as she tried to wrap her brain around it. "I guess Maddy was right, I _am_ a freak."

Britain laid down next to Alli and forced her to look at her. "You're not a freak. You're at that age where it's natural to question who you are and what you like. You're just getting to know _you_."

"You don't think it's wrong?"

"What? Being with a woman?" Britain shrugged. She never really thought about it in terms of right of wrong. "If it makes you happy, it's not wrong. I've done some cruddy shit with men in my life. I have no room to judge _anybody_ about their sexual practices."

"Are you gonna stop being my friend and keep the boys away from me?" She was afraid to hear Britain's answer. Her mother had told her that her father and Britain wouldn't want a lesbian around their children. She adored her family. She didn't want to chance losing it.

That question brought tears to Britain's eyes. Poor Alli. She was so confused, so hurt, so untrusting. The one person in the world that by God given grace was supposed to love her no matter what turned her back on her. She couldn't imagine what being that alone felt like. "I will always be your friend and I would never keep your brothers from you. No matter what you think, I need you to know…I never turn my back on my family."

Alli was hesitant but she moved over and laid her head on Britain's chest. She closed her eyes when she felt her step-mother's arms encircle her. For the first time since this whole thing happened, she felt safe.

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Britain didn't leave Alli's room until she had fallen asleep. After a quick check on the babies that could have probably slept through a train running through their room, she walked down the hall toward her bedroom. She entered the room only to find Dave, sitting with his back resting on the headboard and staring intensely at the television. That meant either Emily had gone or Dave had killed her; it didn't make any difference to her.

"Alli's asleep." She moved quietly over to the dresser and started to remove her jewelry. She didn't know what kind of mood Dave was in but judging from the look on his face, it wasn't a good one.

Dave nodded and continued to stare at the screen. "I'll talk to her tomorrow." Emily's words hurt him. He had always tried to be there for his children, but maybe she was right. Was he not there enough? Was that the reason that his daughters were leading lives that he wouldn't have chosen for them? "I can't deal with this right now. I just wish she would have talked to me about what she was feeling."

"What is there to deal with? I don't know why you're acting like you're surprised." Britain didn't like the condescending tone in his voice at his comment. Like, somehow he had a hand in Alli's sexual preferences. "Have you ever noticed how awkward she is around girls or the way the stares when she thinks no one's looking? Why do you think Maddy teases her all the time? She's really not hiding it, Dave."

This was the kind of thing that a father notices about his daughter, wasn't it? Why didn't he? Dave ran his hand over his face and sighed heavily. "See…this is exactly why I need to be home more."

Britain put her hand on hip and looked at her husband in disbelief. "You think that if you were home more, your daughter wouldn't be a lesbian? What kind of ass backward ignorant shit is that?"

"She's not a lesbian. It's a phase. She'll grow out of it." He wouldn't accept anything less.

"And what if she doesn't? What if she _is_ a lesbian?"

"I don't want that life for her. I don't want her dating boys…I damn sure don't want her to date girls, either. It's just wrong."

Britain let out a cleansing breath before she said something to him that she would regret. He was starting to piss her off. "Excuse me? Did you just say it's wrong?" She watched as he nodded and looked at her like she should understand why. Without saying anything, she walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer. "So is it wrong in this magazine?" She threw the skin mag on the bed. "Or what about in that movie we watched last night?" She watched the way his face changed before she continued. She knew he was trying to justify his words. "Or what about when we went to the Bunny Ranch for your birthday and you wanted to see me with another woman? Was it wrong then?"

"That's not the same, Britain." He wasn't going there with her. He knew that the wrong words would start a bigger argument then the one he had with Emily. He could go round for round with her, but right now, he just needed to process everything that had happened.

"Oh…so it's wrong that your daughter might be gay, but it wasn't wrong when that chick had her tongue in my ass?" She folded her arms and glared at him. "You better think really hard about what you're gonna say before you open your fucking mouth."

He didn't answer. He couldn't. Instead, Dave got off of the bed and walked out of the room. "I'm not doing this right now with you."

She hated to be dismissed. It was the one thing about him that pissed her off to no end. "Why should you? You'll be gone in two days…you won't have to worry about it then."


	9. Chapter 9

Alli watched as the world below her started to come into view. This was it; this was the beginning of her new life. Finally, she was an adult, capable of following her own dreams and away from her parents telling her what she _should_ be doing. In less than fifteen minutes, she would have her feet firmly planted on Carolinian soil and such would start the rebirth of the new and improved Allin Michelle Batista.

She was determined to start over. Her last few days in Tampa proved to her that she needed to. And even though she had gotten conflicting words of advice from both her father and Britain, Alli knew that ultimately the choice would be up to her. Now she could only pray that she made the right one, because causing drama in her father's house was the last thing she wanted to do.

"_Where's Alli?" Dave sat down in front of the highchairs with cereal and mashed bananas for DJ and Mikey. He hadn't gotten around to talking to her yet about what her mother said. Not only could he not find the words to ask his daughter about her sexual preferences, but he hadn't had time since he and Britain kept arguing. _

_He had to be at the airport in a few hours and he wouldn't be home for another week. By the time he would get back home, Alli would have already left for North Carolina. This was not the type of conversation he was going to have with her over the phone. It was now or never._

_Britain lifted her eyes and spoke calmly. Letting go of a grudge was not her strong suit. "She's in her room. Haven't you noticed that she's been avoiding you?" She only had him for a few more hours and she could think of a million other things she'd rather be doing with him, but the only thing on her mind, at the moment, was beating some sense into his big, stupid, thick skull. _

"_She's not avoiding me."_

"_Oh really? Let's see…she hasn't had a meal with us in two days. She's been locked in her room and the only time she comes out is when you leave the house. She's afraid to talk to you, Dave." And truthfully, why shouldn't she be? Alli already was dealing with her mother's reaction to how she felt. All she needed was to find out that her father was didn't accept her either._

_Dave concentrated on feeding the babies. He was not having yet another argument with Britain. It seemed for the past two days that was all they had been doing. Sure, it started with the conversation about Alli, but it escalated into so much more. Apparently, Britain was tired of Dave being lazy when he came home, too. She just had to bring up the fact that for three months she had been asking him to organize the garage and she wasn't happy that the drywall in the back of the basement wasn't put up either. Somehow the tasks on the 'Honey Do' list were enough for her to withhold sex from him. Why couldn't she understand that he worked all the time? When he came home, all he wanted to do was relax and enjoy his family. And why did he make the mistake of telling her that?_

_That sparked another argument. She took his words to mean that he didn't think that staying home and taking care of not one, but two infants was a walk in the park. Not only was she a stay at home mom, but she was also running the gallery, by herself, because Jeff's schedule was just as crazy as his. She called him an ignorant fucker, followed by a few comments in Spanish that he still didn't know what they meant. For the past two nights, he found himself sleeping in Chase's old room because Britain refused to let him in their bed. _

_It still amazed him that he completely gave her the power to dictate where he could sleep in his own house. It wasn't supposed to be like this. His week home was supposed to be about taking the boys to the park, playing basketball with Alli, hanging out with his friends, and making love to his wife. Where in the hell was it written that his ex-wife was supposed to come in and turn everyone's life upside down, his daughter avoid him, and his wife kick him out of the bed? The only people not mad at him at the moment were the twins and if he didn't hurry up and feed them, that would change, too._

"_You act like I'm gonna yell at her or something. I just wanna find out where her head is." He carefully took the edge of the spoon and wiped the excess cereal off of Mikey's mouth before placing the spoon at his lips. _

_Britain removed the bottles from the sterilizer and began the task of filling them with formula. One small miracle of no longer breast feeding was the fact that she could have plenty of bottles on hand for whenever the boys got hungry. "Why do you need to know where her head is? Why can't you just support her? You're just as bad as Emily."_

"_I am not! I'm not kicking her out the fucking house, Britain."_

_She slammed the container of formula on the counter and hunched her shoulders in his direction. "Don't fucking cuss at me, asshole. Just because you aren't screaming and having a fucking fit like Emily did doesn't mean that you're not being as narrow minded as she is. I get that this is uncomfortable for you, but this isn't about you. She needs you to support her."_

"_I support my kids, Britain. I don't need you to tell me how to be their father…"_

_Alli slowly walked into the kitchen and looked between her father and stepmother. "Can you please stop fighting? I didn't mean to make everybody mad. I changed, Dad…I don't feel like that anymore."_

"_Talk to her." Britain mouthed before rolling her eyes at Dave. Was this what she was going to have to look forward to if he stayed home permanently? If so, she was catching the first thing smoking back to Modelingville. She doubted that their marriage could put up with this bullshit._

_Dave handed both boys pieces of Zwieback toast and got up from his chair. "Come on Peanut, we need to talk."_

Even if their talk was the most uncomfortable thing in the world that Alli had ever done, at least it was over and her father didn't hate her. He made it known that he didn't approve by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn't hate her. That was enough to put a smile on her face.

"What's that smile for?" Jeff asked, pulling the earphones off his head. "You been looking like your gonna burst since we got on the plane."

Alli turned in her chair to face Jeff. She didn't know where to begin. She wanted to know everything, what she should expect, how bad training really hurt, was Shannon going to be mean to her and expect that she should know more because of who her father was...and those were just a few things on her mind. "Do you think I can do this?"

"What, wrestle? I guess." If nothing else, Jeff was a dreamer. Although he knew the downsides of what Alli had her heart set on, he wouldn't be the one to tell her all of the bad. She needed to find that out for herself. Some people could handle it. There was time when he couldn't. Maybe Alli was different. He wasn't going to let his personal experiences jade her in anyway. "I mean…you're good with discipline, you listen well and you're in great shape. I think that's the problem that most people have when they try this. They think it's just suplexes and back body drops; they don't realize that you have to train your body to be able to lift another person clear off the ground and all of the physicality that goes into it."

"I'm not worried about that part." She admitted quietly. "I know I'm good at sports and my body can do anything I tell it to do. I'm worried about the other stuff."

"Like what?"

Why couldn't she just put it into words? How the hell was she supposed to give promo speeches and interviews, if she couldn't even think of what to say when she was talking to someone she trusted? "Do you think I'll fit in?"

Jeff looked at her confused. He had always known Alli to be quiet, but not that she didn't fit in. She was a permanent fixture in her family. Granted, she and Maddy didn't get along and she seemed to steer clear of Chase, but it wasn't that she didn't fit in with them. "You're a nice girl. Sure…why not?"

"I don't talk that much and I don't want people to think that I'm being a snob or anything because of my dad." Even with a new haircut and an entirely new wardrobe, the girl sitting in the chair next to Jeff was still Alli. "It's hard for me to make friends."

Jeff shrugged. There was more to what Alli was saying, but he wasn't going to push. "Don't go into it looking for friendships. They kinda happen because you're always together. Just go in there focusing on what you want. That same excitement that you have in your eyes; keep it. It'll pay off."

With a nod, Alli sat back in her chair and fastened her seatbelt. This was her one chance to reinvent herself and she was determined that she was going to do it right.

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No sooner did Jeff and Alli place their bags in the foyer did the sounds of grunts and feet running across the hardwood floor hit their ears. There was a frustrated growl and then giggles. Jeff looked over at Alli and shook his head. "Welcome home."

He had only been gone for two days and by the looks of things, not much had changed. Stepping fully into the hallway Jeff felt a crash against his leg, only to look down and see a naked Cami grinning up at him. "Where are your clothes?" He picked the small nude child up and carried her back to the direction in which she came.

Cami looked over Jeff's shoulder and locked eyes with Alli. Once she realized Alli was looking at her, she dropped her head into the bend in Jeff's neck, only to lift her eyes again to look at Alli. It was becoming a game, to see if Alli was still looking when Cami looked back. The giggle that erupted from her when she realized that Alli was indeed watching her made Alli giggle too.

"Camille Alicia Hardy, if you don't get back here…" Chase stood in the family room holding Cami's clothes in her hand. This had been the day from hell. It always happened like this. When Jeff would leave, Cami would lose her mind. Her mental instability would last about three days and then she would go back to being Chase's sweet little Cam…only to have Jeff come back and leave again, causing Cami to take another trip to Zap Street. She looked up at her husband and their naked offspring with a frustrated smile on her face. "Oh, thank God you're home."

"I missed you too." Jeff walked over to Chase and kissed her softly on the lips. "Why's this one naked? And why aren't you?"

Chase spoke to Jeff but looked directly at Cami, moving her face from side to side as if she was scolding the young child. "Cami seems to think it's funny that she can undress herself. That's the new thing we've been doing all day. Every time I get her dressed, she takes her clothes off."

Cami leaned over and placed a wet kiss on Chase's face before pulling back and laying her head on Jeff's shoulder. If nothing else, in her almost two years, she had learned how to work her parents.

"Maybe she's gonna be an exhibitionist or an artist." He took Cami's clothes from Chase's hand and walked over to the chair to sit. "You know those creative types often find clothes get in the way of their creative energy."

"Well she needs to create with clothes on, like her Daddy, and not run around the house like the little naked hellion that she's been today." Chase signed her comment to her daughter as she spoke to her husband.

Again, Alli felt invisible. Apparently Chase so involved in the fact that Cami was naked, she didn't even realize that she was standing there. "Hey."

"Hey, Squirt! You got your hair cut…it looks so good." It was ironic that Chase still called Alli, Squirt, especially since Alli was about five inches taller than Chase and looked more like an adult than either of her sisters with their childish dimples.

Alli accepted Chase's hug and nodded shyly. "Britain took me."

"You sure you're ready to be here? It's pretty much a circus." Chase smiled and led Alli out of the room. Jeff was too busy playing peek-a-boo with Cami to actually bother to dress her. Instead of fighting it, Chase just decided to remove herself from the situation. Cami had what she wanted; she had her daddy, so hopefully the naked phase would be over for a few days. And with her preoccupied, Chase could finally get back to fixing dinner.

"I'm use to it. The boys are pretty demanding. I've learned to give in and do what they want." Alli took a seat in the kitchen and noticed how domestic Chase had become. At that very moment, in the kitchen, there was no trace of the straight A book worm that Alli grew up with. Instead, standing before her was June Cleaver.

"The boys aren't big enough to drive you guys crazy yet. Prepare to be amazed at how much one child can get into." Chase made small talk with her sister, like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

There had been a time, when Alli was little, when she and Chase were really close; back when Alli was Chase's baby. She was the sibling that Chase would run home from school to play with and help her mom dress and feed. Alli was like a life sized doll when Chase was a child, but the older Chase got, the less interested in Alli she became.

Alli had developed a knack for sports when she was around five. By that time, Chase was already heading to the sixth grade and found that her education was the most important thing to her. It was around age ten that Chase and Maddy started to bond. The pair would often stay up nights giggling and talking about Zach and Slater on Saved by the Bell. Alli was so little then, she wasn't the least bit interested in those conversations. And their relationships progressed that way through their teens.

By the time Chase was in high school and Maddy was just entering, the two girls had already started to have crushes on actual boys. Again, Alli was the odd man out. She was the child that would rather watch a basketball game with their father, than to gossip about who sat next to the captain of the football team at lunch. And when they were at their mother's house, Chase and Maddy were a united front against Emily's constant badmouthing of their father. Alli on the other hand, never left Emily's side and tended to agree with whatever her mother said. It was a gradual process, but slowly Chase and Maddy pulled away from Alli or perhaps she pulled away from them. Either way, Alli was a virtual stranger to her older siblings.

"So, Jeff tells me that you wanna wrestle." Chase said nonchalantly as she added seasoning to the spaghetti sauce. "I take it Daddy doesn't know."

Alli shook her head. She wasn't in the mood for one of Chase's lectures on being responsible. She would be responsible _after_ she figured out if this was what she truly wanted to do. "I just haven't gotten around to telling him yet."

"What about school?" That was Chase's main concern. Alli had the chance at a free education and without any children or a family of her own to hold her back; she wanted her sister to seize her opportunity. If Chase could have done things differently, she would have finished school before she had a baby and got married. Her family meant the world to her, but she had to reprioritize her life and dreams because of Jeff and Cami. Not that she minded, but it was a goal that she hadn't completed yet.

Chase would be turning twenty-four soon; she should have been graduating from graduate school by now. Instead, she was still an undergrad that had gone through four majors in six years. Instead of taking eighteen credits a semester, like she once did, her schedule was reduced to six credits, so she could be home with Cami most of the time. If it hadn't been for Jeff's father keeping Cami on those days when she had class, there would be no way she could have continued her education. But even with her setbacks, Chase was determined that she would be a college graduate.

With a shrug, Alli got up from the table. "School'll still be there."

"But will you be?"

Alli hadn't been in the house for twenty minutes yet, there was no way she was dropping a bomb like that on Chase just yet. "I'm gonna go put my stuff away."

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Jeff was in peaceful place, surrounded by the sound of crickets chirping and the gentle breeze of the North Carolinian summer night blowing across his body. Everything was still, there was no child screaming or running around the house like she was auditioning for a track meet. There were was no clicking of the keys or the bright light from the screen on the laptop to disturb him. In just a few more minutes he would finally be asleep.

Chase had stayed up and talked to Alli about how everyone was doing back in Florida, while Jeff gave Cami a bath and read her story before putting her to bed. After the day she had, all Chase wanted was a long hot bath herself. And she took her time, adding oil to the tub, and lighting candles. It was exactly what the doctor had ordered. And now that the house was settled, she could finally enjoy some time alone with her husband.

She made her way to the bed and slowly pulled back the covers. She noticed how still he was and the fact that he never opened his eyes, pretty much spelled disappointment for her. "Jeff?" She whispered to him in the dimly lit room.

"Hmm?" He could feel himself slipping further into that peaceful place in his mind. He could almost taste the sleep, he wanted it so badly.

"Are you asleep?" After being with him for almost four years, she still found it hard to initiate sex. She was more comfortable around Jeff than anybody she had ever known in her life, but there was something that always held her back. Perhaps it was her inexperience or it could have been that she enjoyed the good girl image that he had of her.

Jeff still didn't move as her question resonated in his mind. He wasn't totally asleep yet, but he could be if he played his cards right. "Mmm-hmm."

"Okay. Good night." She laid with her back to him, disappointed as all hell. It had only been a couple of days since she had seen him, but it had been over a week since she had been with him. If she would just hurry up and get pregnant already, she wouldn't have a damn period to get in the way of being with him whenever they both wanted.

The smell of jasmine hit his nose almost immediately forcing Jeff to roll toward her. "You smell good." His words came out slow as he buried his nose in her hair and let his hand trail down the side of her body. It took a second for his sleepy brain to process, but he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her flush against him. "You ain't wearing no clothes."

Chase smiled. Even if she couldn't initiate it, she still had a way of letting him know what she wanted. "Too bad you're asleep, huh?"

"I ain't asleep."

"I just asked you two minutes ago if you were asleep and you said yes." She rubbed her hand along his arm that was covering her body, noticing the way that he softly kissed the bend of her neck.

Jeff sighed and moved up to kiss her ear. "That's cause I thought you were gonna ask me to put the trash out. I ain't sleeping now."

Chase rolled over in Jeff's arms and closed her eyes as soon as his lips touched hers. It was a short sweet kiss, leaving the pair looking at each other in the darkness. "Jeff? Do you ever get bored making love to me?"

Where the fuck did that come from? He couldn't stop the chuckle that erupted from his throat. "No." How could she think that? Didn't she know what it felt like for him when they were together? "Do you get bored with me?"

"No." She was determined in her response. She didn't want him to doubt that she experienced unbridled pleasure when she was with him. "It's just…" There were so many things she wanted to convey and unfortunately, they all came out at the same time. "You've been with a lot of girls before and I'm sure you've done a lot of different stuff. But, I've never been with anybody else and I haven't done a lot of things…I mean, I know how do the stuff that you like, and I really it too, but what if there was something else that I might like or something that you want that you haven't told me about and you're afraid that I'm gonna be really bad at it?"

Jeff touched his lips to hers again and then stroked her hair. He knew his Chase. This was her round about way of telling him what she wanted. "You're rambling again. Why are you nervous, baby?"

"I don't want you to get bored and find somebody else that knows a lot more than I do."

"What are you talking about? I love you. I ain't interested in anybody else. _I'm_ happy with our sex life, but if _you_ wanna spice it up and try something different, just tell me when and what it is…"

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm. Do you have something particular in mind?" He took in the serious look on her face and smiled. Chase wasn't known to be very adventurous. It was her naïveté that drew him to her in the first place. He couldn't even imagine what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.

"Well…I was watching this movie and they did this thing where this woman…"

"What a minute." Jeff leaned back to take in her entire face. "You were watching porn, Chase?"

Immediately she jumped on the defensive. Although she didn't know why, she couldn't help but to feel like she was about to be scolded by him. "It was _your_ movie."

"That's not the point." He answered with an embarrassed smile. Jeff had a bevy of movies; Lord knows which one she had been watching. "I've been trying for forever to get you to watch 'em with me."

She wasn't going into that. Chase had hoped that she could have just grazed over that part and just get to the good stuff. But of course, Jeff would have to analyze everything. "Do you wanna hear about this or not?"

"I'd rather you show me." He wiggled his brows and leaned back into her.

With a slight giggle at his advances, Chase shook her head. "I can't. We don't have the stuff yet."

"Stuff?" This was getting better and better. Perhaps he needed to be gone more often if that meant she was going to be into experimenting. "You mean it involves props? I like props."

Softly trailing his beard with her finger, Chase stared into Jeff's eyes. "I'm sure you do." No matter how many times he told her he was completely satisfied with her, she couldn't help but to wish that she was more experienced. Jeff was an amazing lover, who literally taught her everything she knew. She just once wanted to be able to do something for him, for _them._ She knew he loved her more than anything and would never jeopardize his family, but that didn't stop her insecurities. Her father loved Britain and he still had an affair. What was stopping Jeff? "Is there anything you'd like to try?"

Jeff thought about it for a moment, before he spoke. There had been something on his mind for awhile, but he didn't know how she would react to it. If she was opening up and telling him what her fantasies were, he would do the same. "Well…there is one thing." He noticed how her eyes got wide and he couldn't stop the laugh that spilled out of nowhere. "It's nothing bad. I would like for us to make a movie."

The look of disgust graced Chase's child-like face and the way she pursed her lips made her dimples more noticeable. "A porn, Jeff? You want _us_ to make a porn?"

"Not porn, Chase. I would like to capture us making love on film." If nothing else, he had a way with words.

"What would we do with it?" She couldn't for the life of her understand why he'd want to do that. She knew he wasn't the type that would show it to his friends. And what about those celebrity couples that had their home movies sold on the internet? There was no way in hell Dave would accept his oldest daughter becoming the next Pamela Lee.

With his thumb, Jeff smoothed out the lines of worry on her forehead. She was still had this youthful outlook on life. It was one of the qualities that he adored most in her. "We'd watch it." He reassured her in a whisper.

"But why would we need to watch it if we were already doing it?"

He positioned her body so that she was lying on top of him. He placed his hands on the side of her face to hold back her hair as he tried to make her understand. "Because being with you is amazing. But sometimes I get so caught up in the way you feel and how you make me feel that I miss some things. Like your eyes, the way they look. That look on your face, the way your lips pout…I wanna watch that, so I don't have to miss it."

Well after an admission like that, he made her idea of props sound skanky compared to the beautiful thing that he wanted to do. "I love you."

"And it's a good thing too. Because I'm crazy about you." Leaning up to kiss her, Jeff sighed. As his head rested back on the pillows under him, he stretched his arms and placed them behind his head. "Now how 'bout you show me what else you learned when you were watching porns."

"You're so nasty." She smiled back at him.

"Only when you want me to be."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

"Cash rules everything around me. C.R.E.A.M. get the money…dollar, dollar bill, y'all." John Cena's head steadily nodded to the beat of the song. He sat at the dining room table with a pencil in hand, in front of a blank piece of paper, trying to find something good to say. Somehow, C.R.E.A.M. wasn't giving him the inspiration he needed, but he wasn't worried. The Wu-Tang Clan were poets in their own right and by the time the iPod shuffled, he would find his inspiration. And if he didn't… he was still jamming.

He closed his eyes and let his body sway to the music. He barely heard the back door open, but he definitely heard the sucking of teeth that forced him to open his eyes. "What up, Shorty?"

"Nothing." Ave sat her bag down and opened her bottle of soda. "Trying to write your vows again?" She nodded toward the blank page and raised her brows.

John nodded in response and hit the button on the remote to lower the music. This shouldn't have been this hard. All he needed was something profound to say. He had never been at a loss for words before, but somehow now, nothing would come to him. He was going to be standing in front of an entire church full of people and look like a complete idiot. X was going to be all poetic and gushy and so far the only thing he could think of saying was, _I love you like I love my dick size._ Somehow, he knew that wasn't going to go over so well. "Yeah."

"Papi, you're thinking too hard. Just…try to think about something that you like about Mami." It seemed easy enough to Ave. At age thirteen, you couldn't tell her that she didn't hold the keys to the universe. She knew everything, or at least she thought she did. She was always a child that was wise beyond her years and in this situation, it was no different. "Just say something sweet for the wedding. Then you can tell her all that stuff that I don't wanna hear on your honeymoon."

She had a point, but it still wasn't enough. If he just had an idea of what X was planning on saying to him, he could tailor his vows to be as long and in depth as hers. Now the problem he faced was how to get his hands on said vows. "You wouldn't happen to know what your moms is gonna say to me, would you?" The way she shook her head and tossed her blonde braid over her shoulder, let him know that she was lying. "Come on, Shorty. It's me…I'm your boy. Hook me up. You don't want me looking like a new fool in front of everybody, do you?"

Ave giggled. It wouldn't be the first time. "How 'bout I make a deal with you? I've got a proposition and if you agree…I might be able to get my hands on her vows."

Making deals? Ave learned quickly. John was proud, he had taught her well. Nothing in life came without a price. Just how big of a price it would be for him, he would soon find out. "Alright. Hit me."

Talking to John had always been easy for Ave. Once she got over her initial crush on him, she found that he was like a big ass kid. They had fun together, they played together, got in trouble together, and got grounded together. If he wasn't so much older than she was, and dating her mother, she would consider him like her big brother.

Though she called him Papi, he was no a disciplinarian. In fact, he was the one that often dared her to do things that got her in trouble. There was no fear when it came to talking to John about anything. Yet, Ave felt her heart start to race at what she was about to lay down. "Okay…just hear me out first." She lifted her blue eyes at him and then back at the blank pad in front of him. "You know how you're gonna marry my mom? Well…that'll kinda make you my step-dad." She took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to say it so that he wouldn't ask her a bunch of questions. "And you know how my real dad's dead…and after you get married, I still won't really have one…"

John nodded at the way she was stalling in an attempt to get her to continue. He had an idea of where this was headed, but he had agreed to hear her out. Apparently, this was difficult for her and he didn't want to make it worse. He had to admire how determined she was in her setup though.

"So, by law…if you didn't adopt me, you still aren't considered my legal guardian; only my mom is. So like, if she was gone and say I need a permission slip signed or if I had an emergency at school or something, you couldn't really do anything." She tapped her fingers against her soda can. "So I was thinking…maybe after you get married, you'd wanna maybe adopt me and become my dad for real? That way we won't be breaking any laws or anything."

John tried to contain his smile. She asked him to adopt her. She wanted him to be her father, not just in the name she called him, but legally. Wow. That was amazing. He had to stop himself from flipping the table over to get to her to hug her. But, this was a business arrangement, so he had to keep his cool. "Cause we wouldn't want to do nothing illegal. And you know…sometimes you got a field trip or some shit, that you might a parent's signature."

"Or like, if I get detention…"

"You can't take that shit to your moms. She'd kick your ass. You'd need another adult to cover for you. Or, if you wanted to get into an R rated movie…" He was thinking of all of the benefits for _her_ that having him as father would bring. His only benefit was seeing her smile; that was enough for him.

"Exactly. Or like the Freshman Father/Daughter dance? I might need a _father_ to go to that."

"Cause you can't be the only there without a Pops…I can respect that." John sat back in the chair watching the way she played with her fingers while she tried her best to convince him that this was a good idea.

She lifted her eyes to him and raised her brows. She had pled her case, now it was up to him. "So what'cha think? Everyone wins this way, right?"

Folding his arms across his chest, John studied Ave's face. She was going to be his daughter. This little, blonde haired, blue eyed, spitfire was going to be his. "I don't see nothing wrong with that because you know, I ain't trying to break no laws. But I just got one question. Why'd it take you so long to ask me?"

Ave flicked her wrist like that was an easy question. John wasn't exactly father material. The way he walked around the house, cursing and scratching himself, didn't exactly scream, responsible father. He ate standing up at the kitchen counter and drank from containers. He'd let one rip no matter who was around and wouldn't hesitate to embarrass her in front of her friends. John wasn't a dad; he was more of a frat boy. Not that that mattered to Ave, he was more of a dad than she had ever had. Being raised by her grandparents was great, but her grandfather was a distant man. Although he was always around, he wasn't overly affectionate and he didn't play with her. John would randomly come up to Ave and give her wet Willies or a wedgie without even batting an eye. And when he was home, he would take her to school and put her in a headlock before kissing her hair in front of all of her friends. Big brother or father figure, it didn't really matter. Ave wanted John Cena in her life permanently. "I was waiting for you to ask me."

Well shit. That wasn't something that he had ever considered. Not that he didn't want to, but because he knew how X treated Miklo's memory like he was the Messiah. "You know your moms is gonna have a fucking fit." The pressures of the wedding coupled with this little request, might just send Christina permanently over the edge. "But I'll talk to her. If she says yeah, let's do it."

"Really?" Ave's smile broke across her face. "And can I change my last name, too? I mean, Ave Velka is cool. But Ave Cena…can't you just see that up in lights and printed in magazines?"

With a chuckle, John agreed. "What happened to Timberlake? I thought that was your stage name."

"Yeah, but not until I'm old enough to get married. Cena's just a temporary last name." She was going to marry Justin Timberlake, there was no doubt in her mind.

John watched as Ave got up from the table. This kid never ceased to amaze him. He was going to have a daughter. Playing the role was one thing, but actually being a parent was something else. He was going to have to step up his game and get some advice from his father on child rearing. He had watched Dave long enough to know what not to do with regard to girls. Granted, he could understand why he was so overprotective, but he couldn't see smothering Ave like Dave did his daughters. Ave wasn't that kind of child. She was too much like her mother. She'd cuss him out before he had the chance to try to lay down the law.

He didn't know the first thing about what all it entailed, but somehow he couldn't help but to think that it was going to be incredible. "Hey Shorty? Te amo. Did I say that right?"

Turning back around, Ave looked confused. "You do?"

Nodding, he confirmed his statement. He did love her. He had never told her that before but he felt it. "Yeah. I do."

"Te amo, Papi." She nearly flew across the room and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You just want those vows, don't you?" When he shook his head, she hugged him tighter. "Gracias a dios." _Thank God._

This was going to be good. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to convince her mother.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three pairs of eyes stared at him intently, instantly making him feel uncomfortable. He was like a slab of meat on display at the butcher, the way they were smiling and standing there, with their heads held high and beckoning him with their eyes. Alone in the living room with three women glaring, he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed her legs peek through the slits in the banister.

By the time she reached the midway point of the stairs, Maddy looked out into the living room and her heart sped up. She couldn't stop the huge smile that crossed her face as she ran down the rest of the stairs. "Oh my God!"

"There's my girl." Randy smiled brightly as the small brunette bolted across the room and landed with a loud thud against his chest. It felt too good to hold her again. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his nose in her fruit scented hair. "Hey, Sweetie."

She hadn't been expecting him, not for another two days, but there he was, in the living room, looking just as fine as you please. The fact that she hated her history class and was destined to fail the first quiz was secondary. All she could think about was Randy's arms around her. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until this weekend."

"I told you I was gonna try to get up here. I have a signing tomorrow in DC, so I figured I'd come by here first." He didn't really care that the other girls in the room were still gawking. He had to kiss her. He had been weeks without kissing her. Very gently, he let his lips reacquaint themselves with the taste that was distinctly Madison before pulling back when someone cleared their throat.

Maddy turned around, but never let herself out of Randy's arms. She rested her back against his solid chest with a blush on her face. "Randy, this is Brenna, Tammy, and Kat. _This_ is Randy."

Nodding his head, Randy lowered his neck to brush his lips over the skin just below Maddy's ear and raise his eyes to her roommates. He didn't know these girls, but judging from the looks they gave him earlier, they really didn't care if he was in a relationship or not. Another strike against the damn Gammas. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'll admit it. I thought she was lying." The red head that was introduced as Kat spoke up. The way she folded her arms across her chest signaled trouble for the couple in front of her. "Like, I know who her dad is, but, you? I was like, no way."

"I know, it's so random." Randy looked at Maddy confused when she spoke. Since when did she talk like a surfer girl? These damn Gammas were a bad influence, in more ways than one.

Taking a seat on the arm of the couch, Brenna looked at her friends. "You know what would be so hot? If you could come to our party tomorrow. There's gonna be all these different chapters there. It would be so cool to have a famous person there."

Lord, why in the hell did she want to be in a sorority? It was fine pleading your loyalty to a group with the same interests, but the Gammas? They were nothing but a bunch of partying, rich, snobby bitches that didn't care about anything but their reputations. Randy had thought that John was kidding about some of the stories of the chapter on his campus. But after reading about them online and now seeing just a select few up close…Randy was convinced that this was the worst mistake Maddy had ever made.

"I don't know. We're supposed to be going to the beach." It was Ocean City, not the cruise, but it would have to do. The Caribbean would have to wait until Maddy pulled up her grades, but in the meantime, they could make their own tropical paradise near the boardwalk.

Maddy turned and looked at Randy with big brown eyes. She had worked so hard on the committee, planning everything from the venue to the DJ. It was the first real assignment that she'd carried out under her chapter's name and she definitely didn't want to miss it. Especially not since Randy was there earlier than expected. If he would have come when he said he was going to, she could have gone to the party, studied for her quiz, and then packed for the beach. Now, she was going to have to rearrange her schedule. That quiz? Fuck it, she was going to fail it anyway, no amount of studying was going to change that. The party? Oh Randy's ass was going, whether he wanted to or not. And the beach? Did she really need clothes anyway? "Please?"

If there was one thing about Maddy that drove Randy crazy, it was the fact that he couldn't say no to her. She had this thing with batting her lashes and making her voice soft when she wanted something. He had seen it before. It was the same thing Britain did to Dave when she wanted her way. It was ironic that he had always joked Dave about being a bitch because he would always give in. And there Randy was, in front of the Gammas, about to become the biggest bitch of them all. "Why not?"

Getting up on her toes, Maddy kissed Randy on the cheek and smiled. "I love you."

"You wanna show me how much?" He raised his brows and smiled. Nodding his head in the direction of the girls still sitting in the living room, Randy let himself be dragged by the hand up the stairs. He looked at the pictures on the walls, denoting all of the Gammas that had come before Maddy. They all looked the same. They all had the same cookie cutter expressions on their faces, all with their expensive cars, breast implants, and gold digger tendencies behind their eyes. It was enough to make him scoff. "Why the hell did you pick _Gamma_?"

"Stop. Please? Not today." She wasn't arguing with him, not when he had just gotten there. They didn't argue much, but ever since she told him about pledging, the Gammas seemed to be the root of every disagreement they had. She opened the door to her room and stood to the side to let Randy walk in. "So? What do you think?"

The room was pink, very pink, with white trimmed window and door frames. On the dresser was the porcelain carousel that Randy had bought her, surrounded by a shrine of pictures of Randy and her family back home. Her entertainment center was stocked with the latest DVDs and CDs, she had a mini refrigerator, a small microwave and a stockpile of microwave popcorn and diet coke. On the bed rested her laptop and several magazines. It was obvious that Maddy had been hard at work.

"It's pink."

"I like pink." Closing the door behind her, Maddy walked over to the bed and started to clear it off. "Where's your stuff?"

"At the hotel." Randy picked up the issue of Vogue and thumbed through it. "You were studying hard for that test, I see."

Rolling her eyes, Maddy took the magazine out of his hand. Not even there for ten minutes and already he was already starting. "I was taking a break. And why would you leave your stuff at the hotel when you can stay here?"

"I'm not staying here. This room is pink." He wasn't staying there because he didn't trust those vultures downstairs, he didn't like the idea of sorority life, and he wanted to spend sometime away with Maddy alone. "I was thinking that you could pack your stuff and come back with me. You can go to class while I do this signing. Well go to this party thing and be on our way to Ocean City on Friday morning." His time was limited but he was determined to make the most of it and staying in a pink room in the Gamma house hadn't been part of the plan.

Maddy pulled on his arm until he leaned down to her seated position. "I got you for five days?"

Nodding his head he kissed her. Five days wasn't nearly enough time as far as he was concerned. "And if you hurry up, we can go back to the hotel. You can show me just how happy you are to see me."

"Why wait? We've got a perfectly private room right here." With a coy smile, she let her hands snake underneath of his t-shirt. She had a way of getting what she wanted and at that moment what she wanted was Randy. So what if he wanted to go back to the hotel? They could do that _after_ they christened her room.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: This chapter is a little slow to me, but it's building toward something, I promise. Thank you for your continued interest and support with this story. The story officially starts, now._

Chapter 10

Alli hitched her Adidas duffel bag on her shoulder and let out a breath. This was it. This is what she gave up two scholarships for. All that was standing in between her and her dream was the closed door to a building that looked like a storage facility. What in the hell had she been thinking, giving up college to do this?

Unusually quiet, even for her, Alli looked around the parking lot nervously. There were only six other cars there, Chase's BMW being one of them. Feeling like a kid whose parents were dropping her off for the first day of kindergarten, Alli watched as Chase took Cami out of her car seat, while Jeff talked leisurely on his cell phone.

Of all he things she should have been nervous about right now her biggest concern was how was she supposed to find her way back to Jeff's house? It was nice of Jeff to lend her his truck while she was staying with them, but even with transportation, she seriously doubted she would ever go anywhere. Every street they turned on looked the same. Every road was tree lined, decorated with cattle, tall grass, and an occasional farm. She wasn't even sure if they were still in Cameron anymore. It was truly hopeless; she would never make friends because she wouldn't be able to find them. And if she didn't get her ass handed to her on the first day of training, she was destined to be forever lost in West Bumblefuck Egypt and never find her way back for the second day.

"You ready?" Chase asked with a smile as she and Cami made their way to the sidewalk. Feeling Cami squirm in her arms, she placed the small child on the ground and held her hand. "This is so exciting!" Leave it to Chase to be excited over something that someone else was doing. She knew there was no way in hell she could wrestle; Chase was entirely too much of a safe girl to do that. Maddy would worry about breaking a fingernail, but Alli? She would be the one to break the mold. "Wouldn't it be fun if you ended up working with Daddy?"

"Yeah…a regular riot." Maybe she could work with her father; that is if he didn't die from a heart attack over what she was doing or if he didn't ground her until she was menopausal. Somehow, she didn't foresee them as being tag-team partners or anything, not even if she turned out to be really good at it.

Watching Jeff open the door and nodding his head for her to enter, Alli slowly advanced toward the entrance. If she could just stop her palms from sweating, she would be doing something. It would just her luck that she'd have to shake hands with someone and they'd feel how nervous she was. She wiped her hand absently over her shorts and followed timidly behind Jeff and Chase.

The walls in the entranceway were decorated with pictures of Shannon, Jeff, Matt, and Gregory as kids just starting out in the wrestling business. She couldn't stop smiling at how incredibly skinny Jeff was and how he looked like an idiot with that makeup on his face and is Vanilla Ice hair cut. A little further down the hall, Alli noticed pictures of Joey Mercury, then and now. He had come a long way too. Maybe one day her pictures would grace the wall in the gym when she made it big. The thought made her stomach flip but put a huge smile on her face.

"What the hell y'all just standing around for? You better make sure he's giving you your money's worth." Jeff yelled to the three men sitting around the ring.

"I was showing them your tapes so they could see how it's _not_ done." Shannon Moore's voice echoed from behind them. He immediately put up his fist and took a jab at Jeff, who in turn blocked the hit. "You're lucky. I don't wanna kick your ass in front of your girls." He couldn't resist bending down to pick Cami up from her position hiding behind Jeff's leg. "You could take the old man out too, couldn't you?" As usual, Cami found Shannon's eyebrow piercing most interesting and she started to grab at it. But Shannon knew how Cami worked and was lucky enough to move out of the way before she could get it. The last time he hadn't been so lucky.

Handing the small child over to her father, Shannon raised his brows at Alli. "Hey Alli." He didn't really know her and they wouldn't be classified as friends or even acquaintances. He had met her on a handful of occasions and walked down the aisle with her at Jeff and Chase's wedding, but that was the extent of their relationship. She always seemed nice enough, but she wasn't in your face like Maddy or extremely bubbly like Chase. She seemed uninterested in getting to know him, so he never made the effort to get to know her. She was shy and he was outgoing, bordering on crazy. Their personalities never warranted anything more than a casual hello to each other.

"Hi." Alli answered quietly and dropped her eyes back down to the floor. She hated that everyone in the gym was standing there, looking at them. She knew that they were really looking at Jeff since he was a big time star. But standing there with him, she knew they wondered who she was.

"You ready to do this?" Jeff asked quietly, noticing how uncomfortable his sister-in-law seemed. This was a huge step and he had tried to prepare her as much as possible, but there was nothing that he could really do to prepare her for her first bump. He watched her nod and put his arm around her. "You'll be fine."

Shannon turned toward the ring in the middle of the room and motioned for everyone to come over and meet his guests. If they were going to be working together at least he wanted everyone to feel comfortable with each other. If you couldn't trust the people you sparred with, then who could you trust? "Derek, Patrick, and James, you all know Jeff Hardy. This is his wife, Chase and their daughter, Cami. And this is Chase's sister, Allin Batista; as in Dave Batista's daughter."

"Alli." She corrected quietly. She couldn't meet their eyes. They would see that she was scared to death. She shook their hands and tried quickly dropped her hand to her side and fidgeted with the hem on her shorts.

Just great. Now those wide eyed stares were reflecting just how these men's minds were churning. They would expect so much more from her because of her father. Alli didn't know the first thing about wrestling. She knew the names of the moves, but that was about it. It wasn't until the first question about trade secrets was asked that Chase finally spoke up on Alli's behalf. "He doesn't really share that much of this business with us."

What should have been a great first experience made Alli want to crawl away and die. There was too much attention focused on her and the expectations were just too much. She didn't think she could do this after all.

"Alli is gonna work with us. She wants to learn how to wrestle." Shannon smiled and lifted his brows in a hopeful fashion. It was amusing to him. He remembered how much of a hard-ass Dave was to Jeff. And if this was a way to stick it the man that had once stuck it to his best friend, then revenge was truly a dish best served cold.

"Oh, thank God. Finally, I have a chick to work with." A female voice with a hint of a British accent came from behind, causing Alli to turn around. She was so small, at only five foot two with a beautiful caramel skin tone and bouncy brown curly hair. She had big brown eyes and a huge smile on her face. "It's about damn time, too. I'm Layla."

Alli shook the extended hand and shook it softly. "I'm Alli."

Layla El was what Alli aspired to be. Even dressed in a sports bra, shorts and knee pads, she still looked like she was had just walked off of the cover a magazine. She didn't have a hair out of place, although she was chugging back water to cool her sweaty body. It was obvious that whatever she had been doing, she was working hard at it. But that rosy glow and those ultra feminine hand movements were what Alli wanted to know how to do.

"Hey, Layla." Jeff said with a smile and turned to hug the WWE Diva.

"Hey, Jeff. I haven't seen you in awhile. Oh my God is this your wife? You're so cute." Layla happily smiled at Chase and extended her hand. "I'm Layla. I worked with your dad for a minute. He was really nice."

"I'm Chase and this is Cami…and you met my sister."

"Sister? You know, come to think of it, you do look like Dave." Layla had a personality that made her be seen. She had only standing there for a few minutes and already, she had dominated the conversation and made everyone feel welcomed. She was so genuine when she spoke and smile put everyone at ease. "So are we going to be partners in crime, then?" She asked Alli, winking at her.

Alli could feel herself smiling. Even if she was scared to death, it appeared that she had made a friend. And if she was to work with Layla, there was no way in hell she could be shy around a person that animated. "I guess, but you're already Diva…"

"Please. Girl, I can't wrestle. I'm a dancer. I shake my ass, but that's it. I actually wanna learn how it's done, so when I get out in the ring, I don't look like a complete idiot." Smiling, Layla grabbed Alli by the hand and pulled her along. "Come on, I'll show you around."

"Layla…" Shannon called after her and shook his head when she threw up her hand to signal for him to leave her alone. Turning his attention to Jeff, Shannon cut his eye at his friend. "Don't start."

It was funny. Shannon was like a puppy on a leash. They were one of the best kept secrets in the WWE locker-room, but Layla and Shannon had been seeing each other for a few months. Their relationship was complicated and neither knew if it was going to go anywhere other than the bedroom, but as long as they were having fun, neither of them thought too much about that.

"Yeah, Jeff. Don't. We gotta get going anyway." With a wave to the men in the gym, Chase turned to Shannon. "Be nice to my little sister and don't work her too hard. And make sure she knows how to get home. And make sure…"

Shannon thought Chase only became a mother hen over Jeff. Apparently she was like that with everyone she cared about. "How old is she? She's an adult right? She'll be fine."

As the Hardys made their way to the door, Chase saw Layla and Alli standing in the hallway. "Good luck."

Walking over to hug her older sister, Alli smiled. "Thanks." This was it. This was her dream, now it was time to make it come true.

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Jeff sat in the chair in the doctor's office cradling a sleeping Cami against his chest. She had successfully screamed herself to sleep that he doubted she would wake from any time soon. It was no wonder, with the all of the digging in her ears with foreign objects. And then there was the hearing test, where they constantly fumbled with her hearing aid, turning up the volume, forcing her to hear high pitched sounds…it was enough to make _him_ want to cry and they hadn't even done anything to him. Cami had been a trooper. She let them poke and prod for a few minutes and then she made it perfectly clear that she was done with their tests. She screamed and reached for Jeff, opening and closing her pudgy hands for him to pick her up and take her away from those people and it broke his heart.

Every doctor's appointment it was like that. He would stand there close to the door and watch his daughter be put through what he considered torture. And the worst part was he couldn't do anything about it. Chase was the one that had to hold her down, so they could look and meddle. Had it been up to Jeff, Cami wouldn't have gotten any tests. But there was an upside. Since Chase was the bad guy, letting the doctor do what he wanted, when it when was all over, Jeff was the savior. He was the one that got to pick his baby up and hold her and soothe her shot nerves. Cami would be pissed with Chase for a few more hours, but Jeff got all the loving in the meantime.

"From the preliminary results of her hearing test, I think we're looking at another surgery." Dr. Fleming was Cami's auditory specialist. He had been the doctor that did the surgery for the bone anchored hearing aid. He monitored Cami's condition since she was strong enough to make the trip from Tampa to Cameron. Camille Hardy's auditory condition wasn't uncommon, but it was extremely hard to treat and almost impossible to cure. "I want to do a CAT scan, but in cases like hers more than likely that first surgery she had wasn't successful."

The only reason Jeff and Chase agreed to let Cami be operated on when she was infant was because the doctors said that was her only chance to combat permanent deafness. Using cadaver bones to build an inner ear was supposed to be successful. Hell, she could hear…not that well, but she could. And now they were saying it wasn't successful?

"What does that mean?" Chase wrenched her hands together and stared at the doctor blankly. "Is she going to go completely deaf?"

"It's a possibility. Usually in a case like hers, the patient doesn't lose any more hearing, but they never gain anymore either. We had hoped that the bone would grow as she did, but it doesn't look like that's happening. Camille's hearing is at twenty percent…that's considered disabled. I want it at least at forty. The bone in the ear canal is too small to produce those kinds of results. This is just speculation…I won't know for sure until I do a CAT scan. But if it's what I'm thinking, I'd like to go in and replace that bone with a new device to increase her hearing."

"No." Jeff didn't confer with Chase at all. He didn't need to. He was tired of people wanting to cut his daughter open and do shit to her that was supposed to make her better. There was nothing wrong with her. "She ain't having another surgery. She can hear. Just do something different with the hearing aid."

"That's another option. There are new hearing enhancing devices that we can use externally, but they won't be as good as a surgery." Dr. Fleming wasn't getting into a battle with a concerned father. His job was to state the facts and give the parents the opportunity to make their own decisions. "If we go that route, Camille may never learn to talk. She can't distinguish sound enough."

With a shrug, Jeff fixed his eyes on the doctor to signal that this conversation was over. "Then we'll work with her at home. She's _not_ having another operation."

Chase looked angrily at Jeff, then back at the doctor. She accepted the literature he handed to her and thumbed through the brochure. "We'll talk about it and let you know."

"It's up to you. But make an appointment for the CAT scan and I'll see her again in two months."

Chase stood and shook the doctor's hand before picking Cami's diaper bag off of the floor. She knew she and Jeff would have a knock-down drag-out fight about _his_ decision when they got home. Hopefully, in the hour that it took to get back to Cameron, she would have cooled down about it. But somehow, she doubted it.

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"Up…down. Up…down. Up…down. That's it." Shannon sat in the corner of the ring, yelling direction to Alli. She caught on fast. James, who had started just two weeks before her, hadn't quite caught on how to fall yet, but Alli seemed to pick it right up. "No…James…fall on your shoulder blades, arms straight out or you're gonna fuck your elbows up." He shook his head and watched as this six foot, two hundred twenty pound man, managed not to land any of his falls. But Alli? She did it like a natural. "That's good Alli. Up…down. Alright. Take a break."

If Alli had to hoist herself to her feet and land flat on her back one more time, she was sure she was going to throw up. It was only the first day and already she was sure she was going to have bruises all over her body. Her abs hurt and her thighs were burning from having to hold her legs in a bent position to absorb most of the fall. Plus, the first couple of times she landed, she landed on her head. If she didn't have a concussion already, she was going to in a minute. She had lost count over how many falls she had done already, somewhere around thirty-five.

As much as she wanted to beg Shannon to quit, she refused. There was no way she was going to show that she couldn't pull her own weight. Especially not since Shannon had already introduced her as Dave's daughter _and _Jeff's sister-in-law. She just knew that those guys were looking for her to get special treatment and that little conversation she had over heard when she made it back to the ring from her tour with Layla proved just that. It seemed that Derek and James had a theory: Shannon would take it easy on her because she was a girl and the women in the WWE didn't do shit anyway. Plus the fact of who her family was, she really didn't need to train. All she had to do was walk into Vince's office and she was guaranteed a contract. "And she's a hot piece of ass. If Batista and Hardy don't get her a job, fucking Shannon Moore will."

She couldn't defend herself, not on the first day. The last thing she wanted to do was seem like a bitch to these guys that she was going to be working with. But it wasn't fair; they didn't know her. They didn't know how completely dedicated and hardworking she was. It didn't matter that her last name was Batista; she wasn't asking anyone for special treatment. But no matter the truth was, it hurt her to think that no one had any faith in her abilities.

"Are you guys just jealous because if she fucked you, you couldn't do shit for her career?" Layla raised her brows and folded her arms across her chest? "Maybe if you spent more time hitting your spots, instead of worrying about whose family has influence or who one needs to fuck to get an interview, you just might get to the big time yourself." Layla had a way of shutting people up. She wasn't mean; she had a smile on her face the entire time. But she spoke the truth. Seeing that she had completely squashed the crazy talk, she turned to Shannon. "I'm done. I'm going to take a shower and when I come back, I'd like to go to dinner." She wasn't asking, Layla rarely asked for things. She simply stated what it was she wanted. It was hard to describe because she wasn't demanding. She just a woman that knew what she wanted.

Looking over at the clock on the wall, Shannon nodded. It was already six-thirty. He didn't mean for the practice to go that long for one day. And seeing how it was Alli's first time there, he definitely shouldn't have had her doing all of that for five hours. "I'll see you guys back here at nine in the morning." He waited until Alli made her way out of the ring and pulled her aside. "You're gonna be real sore in the morning. Soak in a tub and take some Motrin for the pain. If you can stick around, me and Layla'll show you how to get back to Jeff's."

Even if she was completely lost and her muscles were screaming at her, she wasn't going to admit it. Anything worth having was worth fighting for, even if the battle was with her own body. She didn't need anyone's help, not anymore. Jeff had been a gateway to what she wanted and she wasn't being a spectator in her life ever again. She was going to find her way back home, by herself. And she would find her way to the gym in the morning. She wasn't going to quit, her fear was secondary. "I'll be fine."

"Alli? You did real good." Shannon smiled at her and walked toward the back of the gym. "See ya tomorrow."

Already on her first day, she learned how to fall and did better than the guys who had been there longer than she had. She had made a friend and proved that she could hold her own. Alli was doing this, and doing it well. This was the dawning of a new day for Allin Batista and she just knew it would only get better.


	12. Chapter 12

_**This chapter contains sexual content.**_

Dave Batista was greeted with the sound of complete quiet as soon as he stepped in the house. It was only a little after seven at night, yet all of the windows were closed and locked, the alarm system was on, and every light downstairs was turned off. It most certainly was unusual for his household.

Making his way up the stairs, Dave's first instinct was to check on the babies. The lamp in the nursery was still on, giving the powder blue and purple room a soft glow. He took a minute to lower the railing on DJ's crib and lean in to give his son a kiss. Gently, he stuck his hand inside DJ's pamper to see if he needed to be changed and was pleased that he didn't. He felt himself smile at the way the baby slept on his stomach with his butt in the air and both fists still drawn at the side of his head. The way DJ aggressively sucked the pacifier back into his mouth when he felt it slip made Dave envy his innocence. God, if that's all he had to worry about, then the kid had it made. "Good night, Big Guy." He quietly snapped the railing back into place and headed across the room to check on his brother.

Mikey's crib was empty; that would explain why the lamp had been left on. Taking one last look in DJ's direction, Dave made sure that the monitor was on, turned off the lamp, and cracked the door behind him. He made his way back down the hall toward his bedroom and gently opened the door, instantly feeling himself smile at the sight.

Britain was lying in bed with Mikey right at her side, both fast asleep. The television was turned down low, constantly replaying the main menu screen of the Veggie Tales DVD that they had been watching. Mikey was turned facing his mother with his hand touching her neck while Britain's arm laid protectively over the small baby. It was truly a Kodak moment.

Trying his best not to wake her, Dave picked up the baby and rested Mikey's head on his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you in bed," he whispered to his son.

As soon as Britain felt the baby move from under her, her eyes opened in slits. "Michael?" Her voice came out in a breath as she absently ran her hand around the empty spot on the bed where he had been laying.

Dave felt an incredible sense of pride and comfort at that moment. Although she was still asleep, she still cared for their children, making them her first priority. He knew it hadn't registered to her yet that he had picked up the baby, but her mother instincts told her that Mikey was no longer within her reach. "I got him."

"Dave?" Her eyes wouldn't focus; she was just that exhausted. She thought she recognized his bulky frame, but she couldn't be sure. For all she knew, she was dreaming.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep." He watched as she nodded and closed her eyes before walking out of their bedroom.

Whatever Britain had done, she had successfully knocked Mikey out. The child that would wake up at the slightest sound was sleeping heavily and didn't notice that he was no longer at his mother's side or that his father had placed him back in his crib. When the covers were pulled up over him, the baby stretched out and turned his head toward the wall signaling that he too would be out for the night. The house was quiet, everyone else was asleep, with nothing else to do, Dave decided that he could at least get to some of the things that he had neglected to help with during his last trip home.

The bathtub sat full of water with a film of melted bubbles floating on the top. Judging by the way Britain slept with her robe on, and her hair pulled up on the top of her head, he guessed that she was in the bath when Mikey decided that he wanted her attention. Poor Britain. She didn't get a break and with Alli being gone, she had both boys by herself all the time. It was no wonder that she was in bed before eight.

Dave took a minute to drain and wash the tub, add a load of laundry to the washer and run the dishwasher before he headed back upstairs for his own shower. It was the least he could do. Britain usually kept the house in tip-top shape, but judging from the toys on the living room floor and the fact that he could only find the clean towels not in the linen closet, but in the basket that sat in the hallway, apparently she had had her hands full.

With the house finally in working order, Dave settled in bed next to his wife. As soon as Britain felt Dave's chest against her back she sank into his embrace, but it didn't register to her that he was there. And when his arm came around her waist, instinctively she pulled his hand up to her cheek and tucked it under her while she slept. Just having him there was comforting enough, even if she was still mad at him.

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Dave moved his arm as soon as he felt Britain moving under him. Just into the fourth episode of the Weeds marathon, this would be the time that she would decide to move and her hair would block his view of the television. But even with her blocking his show, he still had a smile on his face when he looked down at hers. She had completely turned around in his arms and settled next to him, with her hand on his chest. She looked so peaceful, so content. No matter how many arguments they had or how many times she walked out on him or put him out in the past, in the end he could honestly say that he loved that woman more and more everyday.

Britain opened her eyes against the protective warmth she felt under her hand. It took a second to realize that Dave was lying beside her, but as soon as she was fully awake, the first thing she did was sit up and look around the bed.

"I put him back in his crib." Dave watched as she settled next to him again, gently burying her head into his arm her hand returned to his chest. Britain's open palm looked so small in between the deep cuts between his pectorals, but the gentle movements she made with her fingers proved that her own hand held more power over him then he did with his physical strength.

"How long have you been home?"

Reaching over to grab the remote, Dave shrugged. "About three hours. You were knocked out."

Britain recalled the day that she had. She wasn't able to go to the gallery because the boys weren't feeling well. They cried so much that the work that she tried to get done at home still sat in a pile in the family room. "It was a rough one today. Both of them decided to scream and holler all day long."

Dave felt like shit. He knew he should have pressed the issue with them getting a nanny to help, but Britain was dead-set against it. It was enough dealing with one baby by herself, he was sure two was going to kill her. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help."

"We made it through." For the past four days, whenever they talked, they only talked about their sons. Neither one would address the issue that the last time he was home they had an argument that still hadn't been resolved. She was upset that he was being insensitive, and he was angry that she didn't agree with him. On the grand scheme of things, for Dave and Britain, that argument was just a recurring thing that happened about once every three months or whenever his daughters were involved. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last that they would argue over the same issues, but that's what happens when two very different people decide to share their life together.

Dave looked down into Britain's grey eyes and wrinkled his chin. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. 'I'm sorry' being the main one. But he couldn't. Dave and Britain argued all the time. It was one of the things he found most attractive about her. She was never afraid to say how she felt; she was passionate about everything and when he was wrong, she never hesitated to call him on it. But the problem was they were both stubborn. He knew damn well she wouldn't apologize; all she did was state the truth. He _had_ become a lazy asshole. All he wanted to do when he came home was reap the benefits of a household that she busted her ass to run. What was the cause for the apology on her part? But he appreciated everything she did and she knew it, but it still would have been nice to hear. And that whole Alli thing? That was a subject that they were just going to have to agree to disagree on.

If he could've apologized he would have told her that he was sorry for the seeming like he didn't care, but not for anything he said. But knowing Britain that would have started another argument. Instead, he took the only approach he knew how. He looked at her with soft brown eyes and watched as she curled her lip up in a smirk.

Britain knew Dave like the back of her hand. She could tell by the look on his face that he was trying to make peace. The truth of the matter was she missed the hell out of him. For four days, only talking for five minutes at a time about the twins was killing her. She wanted to break down and tell him about all of the mundane shit she had done at home; that she had helped Ave pick out the perfect gown for the wedding or that she had lunch with Jericho two days before. But she had been angry with him and at that moment, she couldn't remember why. It was stupid. A conversation that should have happened gradually took place when she was really angry about something else and just threw some more shit it in to add more fuel to the fire. They had so little time together as it was; she wasn't spending their next three days together pissed off.

Britain raised her hand to Dave's cheek and stroked it softly. Her grey eyes accepted his apology silently. Lifting her head, she gently placed her lips on his, feeling his arm come around her tighter, she gently massaged his scalp with her hand. And as Dave fell deeper into her kiss, he let his hand fall beneath the covers and pulled her leg up over his hip. Rolling over and mindful of her other leg that would inevitably be pinned under him, Dave managed to find himself over top of her, looking down at her face.

He only let his gaze fall from her eyes long enough to concentrate on the tie on her robe. Making love to Britain partially clothed was only something they did when they were sneaking around or being adventurous. If they were in the truck or in a public place, then yes, it was quick and there was no time to completely enjoy every inch of each other's bodies. But, when it was quiet and it was just those two lost in their own world, there was nothing separating them ever.

As he sat back on his knees, he lifted her up to remove the rest the garment from her arms. He watched as she settled back amongst the pillows and soon he found himself kissing her again. He missed Britain more than he could tell her and it was moments like this that reminded him why.

This was the only woman that he ever loved and she complimented him so well. She would always kiss him by placing her lips perfectly in the voided spaces of his when they were parted. Her tongue would tease his ever so slightly, but it was her fingers on the back of his neck that would solidify that her lips felt the same thing that his did when they kissed. Her grey eyes would show a range of emotions when he moved inside of her. Her forehead would always crease and then relax depending on the movements of his hips. Her lips would always part ever so slightly, save for when she would bite and rake her plump bottom lip between her teeth. And her voice…those sweet sounds, ever so hushed always sent a chill though him that was only rivaled by the feather light touch of her fingers on his body.

It was those small details about Britain that Dave adored; they are what made her more beautiful to him then he could ever put into words. It was the reason he hated arguing with her and he hated being away from home so much. Just the thought of all of that beauty wrapped up in one single act made it hard to keep his composure.

Britain looked into Dave's brown eyes as they studied her. That look on his face, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered, always sent her spiraling out of control. For his hands to be as large as they were, they were always incredibly soft gently gripping her, massaging her, and bringing her closer to him. His tongue was an extension of his fingers that always gently coaxed her into giving more of herself no matter what part of her body it trailed on. His lips, no matter how much they lacked in fullness, were always soft against her skin with a gentle pressure slowly sucking every nerve in her body to life. And then there were those eyes. Dave's brown eyes were always so warm and told her everything she ever needed to know. If she ever questioned how much he loved her, all she needed to do was to look in his eyes. Those eyes were always transfixed on her face, taking in every emotion she had, giving off emotions of their own. Those eyes made love to her on entirely different level than his body did. And when his gaze shifted to stare out into something wasn't there, the intensity in those eyes always showed he could see what their joining was building to and it wouldn't long before he got to that place. But when his eyes closed, she always knew that his concentration couldn't be on her, he could no longer share in the beauty of her face because he didn't want that feeling to end and watching her would cause that.

Dave watched the way Britain rolled her head back and lifted her chin toward the ceiling as she silently gasped for air. Everything about her changed. There was intensity on her face that soon settled into a peaceful glow. Her mouth opened and closed as though she was desperately trying to say something but only her short spurts of breath was all he could hear. The strength with which she gripped his arms subsided as her fingers gently slid down his back. Even the movement of her hips slowed down and was replaced by the familiar contracting of her body from the inside. If there was ever such a thing as a perfect moment, undeniably, Dave would define it as the exact moment when Britain had an orgasm. It never failed, just that look on her face, was enough to force him into his own.

Britain could feel Dave's arm tighten around her and his movements become harder and more deliberate. The gentle feel of his breath against her ear and the almost inaudible sound of his voice that trailed the end of his exhale always sent shivers through her. And then he stopped moving and just held her and rocked her while the last waves of his tribute to their union coursed through him. When he reopened his eyes, his breath was still labored and he smoothed the hair from her face and kissed her passionately. Their sweat soaked bodies would cool in each other's embrace as they communicate everything that they shared through their stares and their kiss.

One argument wasn't enough to break what they had. Hell, a shady past, hurting words and an affair couldn't stop the love that they shared; it had an intensity all its own. Britain and Dave might have disagreed on most things and they had their moments of exploding on each other. But the one thing they couldn't stop was how they felt about each other and their way of reconciling their differences always culminated with both of them reaffirming just how important they were to each other.

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"Are we even gonna talk about this?" Chase picked up the last of Cami's toys and closed the lid on the toy chest. Surprisingly things at her house were quiet as well. After dinner, Cami took her bath without protest and was asleep before Jeff finished the story to her. Alli had come in and headed straight for a bath before turning in herself, and now only Jeff and Chase and the huge pink elephant in the room remained awake.

"There ain't nothing to talk about. She's not having any more surgeries. I don't see why you're even considering it." Jeff stood in the doorway with his can of soda, trying his best not to let his anger get to him.

Chase raised her eyes toward the ceiling and shook her head. It was pointless trying to talk to Jeff about anything concerning Cami. She could appreciate how much he adored their daughter, but when it came to her Jeff had blinders on. Everything involving her health, he chose to ignore. When she was first born and had a slue of medical problems, Jeff was right there beside Chase making all of the necessary decisions for Cami's best interests, but as soon as she started to get well and her prognosis was that of a normal little girl, suddenly Jeff chose to ignore that despite how perfect Cami was, she was still hearing impaired.

The agreement to do the surgery for the hearing aid had been a battle in itself. But in the end, Jeff conceded and went along with it. When they had to take sign language classes and met with an occupational therapist for techniques to use with their daughter, Jeff thought it was the biggest waste of time; but again he went along with it because it was what Chase wanted to do. Now, enough was enough, he wasn't going along with anything anymore.

It was rare that Chase and Jeff fought, mainly because they were both relatively easy people to get along with. Sometimes though Jeff would just piss her off to that point where she could no longer keep it to herself. "We don't even know for sure if she'll need another surgery. But if she does, it could help her. Would you just look at the information the doctor gave us?"

There was no use in having this conversation, Jeff wasn't changing his mind. "No. I don't need to look at it. You always do this…" Jeff sat his soda down on the table and ran his hand over his face. It wasn't hard to understand where he was coming from, but Chase didn't want to listen. Well she was going to listen to him this time. He wasn't backing down until she did. "Every time one of those doctors has a new treatment or there's a new procedure or some shit, you wanna try it. You keep dragging her from appointment to appointment, just looking for somebody to validate that there's something wrong with her."

"Do you even realize that she's deaf? That's not gonna go away, Jeff. It's not gonna fix itself! _You_ do this crap every time. As soon as we find out there maybe something we can do to help her, you get pissed and say no." Usually Chase would back down and let Jeff have his way, but not this time. She was tired of dancing around the fact that there was so much more they should be doing for Cami, but they weren't. "You won't consider surgeries, you don't sign with her…You won't even look at deaf schools with me…"

Jeff could feel the muscles in the back of his neck tighten. How dare Chase make it seem like he was stopping is daughter's progress. There was no excuse for the way she coming down on him. He was only being the best parent he knew how. "What the fuck are talking about? Special schools? Why can't she just go to a regular school like a regular kid? You want her to be in some school full of kids with problems. You want her to feel crippled. Cami ain't crippled, Chase. She's a normal, happy, little girl. Stop trying to fix her, she ain't broken!"

"She can't hear!" The angry tears were starting to well up in her eyes. This conversation was long overdue and the problem was they were both so frustrated with the other that it was coming out in anger as opposed to them talking to one another about the issue and coming to terms with an agreeable solution. "She can't talk…She can't communicate with us, Jeff. Do you even notice that?"

"She's a baby!"

"She's not going to be a baby forever. Do you want her to have to point at what she wants for the rest of her life? Why do you want her to be handicapped?"

"Chase, she'll talk when she's ready and she can hear enough. She hears me just fine. And maybe if you stop trying to fucking schedule everything she does and just let her be a kid, she'd listen to you too." He was done with this argument. Jeff turned to away from Chase, destined to get the hell out the same room that she was in. But that voice, Chase's voice, drew him back to where he was standing.

This really had nothing to do with their fight, but then again, it had everything to do with it. She was fine when the argument was about whether or not Cami should have surgery, but for Jeff, the man that was hardly home, to decide that Chase wasn't the ideal mother…she had had enough. "When you're home, it's all about Cami. Whatever she wants, her daddy's gonna give it her. But what about the other four days a week when you're not here?" She ran the back of her hand over her nose and sniffled. "When you're gone, it's just me and her. And I wanna be able to talk to my daughter, Jeff. I want to hear what's on her mind. I want her to tell me how she feels. I want her to hear me tell her I love her and that I'm proud of her." Her voice broke with a sob at the sad reality that Cami may never be able to actually hear how she felt about her. "But as long as we don't do anything to help her, that's never gonna happen. She's gonna be dependent on us for the rest of her life. She's never going to be able to do anything on her own. She's a deaf child in a hearing world…things are gonna be harder for her than anybody else, because if it was up to you, _we_ would be her only means of communication."

"I'm so sick and tired of you telling me about what Cami can't do. What about all of the things she can do? There ain't nothing wrong with my baby. So what, she has hearing problems? She'll adjust. She don't need another surgery or a special school or to use fucking sign language. She'll learn…maybe slower than other kids, but she'll learn."

"It's only gonna get worse. If we do something about it now, she stands the chance at a normal life…"

"A normal life? She's got a normal life." He needed to get as far away from Chase as possible. "You know what? I'm almost glad she's deaf. At least this way she can't hear that you think she's less than perfect."

Chase watched as Jeff walked out the living room and headed up the stairs. Nothing was settled; they were still no closer on deciding what they were going to do. It wasn't going to get any easier. And now instead of uniting to do what was best for Cami, once again, Jeff and Chase found each other in a heated battle and still nothing was getting resolved.

By the time Chase made it upstairs, she found Jeff lying on the bed holding Cami to his chest singing to her. She had heard her cry about an hour ago, but she knew that Jeff was right there to calm whatever bad dream or unhappiness she might have had. It was hard to stay mad at him, especially she knew in her heart of hearts that he was only doing what he thought was best for her. But it didn't stop the fact that he was enabling her; he was robbing her of the potential to have so much more a fulfilling life than she did. "I don't think she's not perfect, 'cause she is." Chase's voice was small as she made her way the bed and gently rubbed the blonde hair on Cami's head. "I just feel like it's my fault and I'm trying to make it up to her."

"Chase, it ain't nobody's fault. But you gotta stop acting like she's not normal. She is. Just let her be." All Jeff wanted was for his daughter to be happy. He didn't care that meant she would never be able to hear. "I know it's gonna be hard for her and even if the rest of the world thinks she's got a problem; I don't want her to feel that way at home."

"But I want her to have a chance. That's all I'm asking, just let her have a chance." With time to herself she knew what she had to do. Chase wasn't assertive, but she would put her foot down when the situation demanded it. "If Dr. Fleming thinks she needs another surgery, I'm gonna tell him to do it."

Jeff stared blankly at his wife and slowly sat up, still holding Cami to him. As he made his way to the bedroom door, he kissed the side of his daughter's head. "Ain't nobody touching my baby. Not you, not the doctor, not anybody. I ain't doing this no more, and I sure as hell ain't gonna let her go through that again. All of y'all are gonna leave her the hell alone."


	13. Chapter 13

Jeff awoke to the feeling of something wet and sticky on his lips. It was rare that he slept on the couch, but after the night they had, he didn't want to be in the same room with Chase for fear of more arguing. With them, it wasn't ever a winner or a loser. He had his point of view, and she had hers. And fortunately for them, the focus of this particular argument was going to end with Cami stuck in the middle.

Opening one eye slowly, he looked over at Cami, whose brows were knitted in concentration as she tried to force the piece of banana that she had smashed in her hand onto his mouth. He pinched his lips together and shook his head. Apparently Cami thought that if it was time for her have breakfast, Jeff too should be eating. "I'm not hungry."

Persistent as ever, Cami held the mushy fruit to his lips and opened her mouth to show him how he should do his in order to eat. Jeff couldn't stop his smile. That little girl was just as precocious as he had been as a child. Opening his mouth to accept the warm squishy fruit, Jeff chewed and nodded at Cami. "It's delicious. Thank you." It never dawned on him that Cami had squished the fruit in between her pudgy fingers before feeding him, nor where her hands had been before then. If Jeff thought about it, he may have been more reluctant to accept the tasty treat before him. Cami had been known to like to play in the dogs' dishes and to bathe her dolls in the toilet.

Jeff slowly pulled himself up into a seated position and picked the girl off of the floor. "Good morning, angel. How's daddy's little girl?" Happily Cami bit at her fruit, before breaking off another piece of the banana and pressing it against his lips. She didn't care that he was talking to her, only that they were supposed to be eating. And the toothy grin she gave him, when he took another bite, was enough to tell him she was happy. "Where's Mommy?"

Carrying Cami with him into the kitchen, he sat her down in her booster seat and leaned up against the table. Just looking at Chase's rigid posture upon hearing him enter the room, made Jeff feel sick to his stomach. He hated when he and Chase fought, but it was bound to happen. They just had different ideas about what Cami needed and since her birth, pretty much every argument they had was about her. "Good morning." Jeff looked down at the floor when she turned around, not yet ready to meet her eyes. He had said some things to her that he knew she would be hurt by, but hurting her wasn't his intention. He just wanted her to understand his point of view.

"Morning," she answered quietly and looked up at him with sad eyes. Fighting with Jeff was the absolute feeling in the world for Chase. She loved him so much, but he could just be so damn stubborn at times. She knew this would be another topic regarding Cami that they wouldn't agree on and frankly, she was tired of giving in. She knew this was one of many fights to come; that thought kept her up all night, crying, frustrated, pissed off. And now, she was just sad. Sad because her husband refused to listen to what she was trying to say.

Jeff felt incredibly guilty looking at Chase's swollen and puffy blue eyes. Sinking a little further onto the table, he mentally kicked himself for making her cry. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He kept his voice low, and found the floor a much better place to look than at her. He wouldn't apologize for what he said, he was firm in his belief that Cami didn't need another surgery, but he was sorry for the way he came off. Hurting Chase was never an option; it was something that he couldn't fathom doing on purpose.

"Me too." But Chase knew there would be more yelling, because she wasn't backing down this time. She watched as Jeff made his way to her and closed her eyes when his arms came around her. The only thing that made her smile, was hearing Cami clap from the table. She seemed to like the fact that her parents had made up.

Kissing her head, Jeff pulled away to look at her face. "I love you. I just want…"

Chase raised her hand to his lips and shook her head. "It's fine, Jeff. Let's wait to find out what the doctor says." She wasn't arguing with him for two months. They'd wait to find out and then all hell would break loose.

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If there was one thing that Britain could count on, it was if she was really good in bed, she could get Dave to do damn near anything; even the garage, which he had avoiding for months. She was sure that cleaning it, wasn't on his list of things to do, but that blow job in the middle of the night, that woke him from his sleep and lead to the best sex she had gotten in months, seemed to have changed his mind.

Apparently, it was so good, that when she started cleaning the house Dave got up and took care of the twins without being asked, so she wouldn't have to stop with her incessant vacuuming, polishing, mopping and whatever the hell else she was doing to make their house smell Pine Sol fresh. And now that everything else was done, she sat at the table, feeding her son's laughing at their messy faces and talking to them in a high pitched voice, while she did it.

"B…what's up?" John Cena, strolled into the kitchen and plopped himself down on the stool. It wasn't like he normally knocked before he came in or anything. If the door was unlocked, he just walked in. He should have learned his lesson from the last time he just walked in and found Britain spread out on the dinning room table, while Dave was seated at the table... eating. After walking in on that, John should have known better. But he didn't care. Dave's home was his home away from home, and truth be told, he didn't mind seeing Britain naked. "MC…DJ, what's going on guys?" John took a seat at the table before reaching his hand out the boys in an attempt to shake their hands.

"Do you call anybody by their names? Is everyone an initial to you?" Britain looked up from the table at John and smiled.

"You need to teach these boys how to give firm handshake." He stared the boys in amazement. Just a few months ago, they were a HUGE bulge in Britain's stomach, then they these little tiny things. Now, they were like real people. They had distinct looks, both like Dave, personalities, and facial expressions. It was amazing. "Or show 'em how to give dap or something."

Rolling her eyes at her friend, Britain lifted the bib to DJ's mouth to wipe off the excess food. "Shut up."

"So where's GQ?"

"Out back, cleaning out the garage." Britain smiled happily that finally Dave had gotten around to the damn garage.

John shook his head and laughed. Dave was a bitch. For weeks had been saying he wasn't do it. He swore that he was not going to clean the garage because whenever they got the basement done, all of that crap was just going out in the garage and junk it up again. John had listened over beers to Dave complain that Britain was riding his ass about it, but he wasn't changing his mind. And now, he was outside doing what he preached he wouldn't do. "You changed his mind, huh? You put that shit on him and now his bitch ass is outside."

"And don't you go out there messing with him, either. It took three months, but it's finally getting done." Satisfied that both boys had actually gotten enough food in their stomachs, Britain left the bowls of baby food in front of them so that they could attempt to feed themselves. It would messy, but it was the only way they were going to learn. She sat back and watched as little hands squished goopy baby food through little fingers and little mouths and faces were decorated with it. "So…you drove over here, just to see what Dave was doing? You could've called."

"I kinda need some advice about Ave." John looked at Britian before curling his lip at how much food, DJ had gotten on his face.

"And what is Ms. Ave up to? You know she's been begging me to let her watch the twins. She keeps saying that she needs the money. You don't give that girl an allowance?"

"Shit. She's got more money than me or her mother. She saves all of hers and spends all of mine." He had to smile at Ave's warped sense of financial planning. But in all honesty, John wouldn't say no to whatever she wanted anyway. John folded his hands in his lap and hung his head down, in defeat. "She started the alphabets..."

"The what?"

"The alphabets. You know, PMS, IUD, period all of that shit." It was too much of a girly thing to really think about. But if he was going to be her father, he should know some things. "Do I have to buy her a gift?"

Britain put her head down and laughed at him. He was damn cute, she couldn't help it. "No. It is a milestone. She's turning into a woman, but it's not really a gift giving occasion. At least I didn't get a gift. And if you find out that I was supposed to, lemme know, because my dad owes me."

"X was all crying and shit. She's all talking about how her baby is all grown up. I didn't know what to do. I keep thinking I should have a sex talk with her, but I can't. All I keep thinking about is I'm gonna kill a motherfucker if they think about touching her." When did John turn into Dave? He couldn't understand it. He wasn't strict, but Ave was growing up. If she started her period, that meant she had working hormones. And if her hormones worked, that meant that she would be become interested in more then just Justin Timberlake. Just the thought of some horny guy, like him, with his hands all over Ave was enough to piss him off. "I can't handle this shit." He rolled his head toward Britain and let out a groan. "And plus, she asked me to adopt her."

"Whoa." Suddenly, John's confusion was no longer a laughing matter. The concept was wonderful, but getting around X was going to be nasty. Giving up Ave's paternity to John wouldn't sit well with her best friend and Britain knew that would be a battle that John was totally unprepared for. "You didn't tell X about that yet, did ya?"

"I ain't stupid. You know how much money I shelled out for this wedding? I actually want to get married." And John actually wanted to adopt Ave, but he knew he had to do it carefully. For almost everything he wanted from X, he got it by having her in some kind of a compromising position. He knew there would be no amount of contorting her to soften the blow.

"I think it's a great idea. Ave adores you and you're crazy about her. You're gonna be her stepfather anyway, and I know that Christina is really happy about that. But…Miklo was everything to her. She's not just gonna be okay with giving him up completely. Ave is the last thing she has of their relationship."

"I ain't trying to take her. I know she has a father." John's voice rose, causing Mikey to look up at him. DJ was too preoccupied with trying to lick the bowl to really notice. "It's like this; I know she loved him, but dude's gone. I know she loves me, and I want the chance to give her and Ave everything that Miklo would think that they would deserve."

Britain had to restrain herself from pinching John's cheeks. Finally, the most immature man on the planet was speaking like a grown up. "That is so sweet. And maybe if you told her, just what you told me, it might be easier for her. You know she's gonna get defensive. But just explain to her that you're not trying to replace Miklo. If you want, I can talk to her first."

"Nah. I wanna do this myself. Ave asked me, she wants to be my kid." Standing up from his seat, John walked toward the back door. "Just let me sleep on your couch when she puts my ass out of my own damn house."

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Alli knew for sure that she had welts that matched the ropes on the ring all over her back. The burning pain from each time she was hurled into the ropes made her wince out loud on that last go round. Why in the hell did they make the ropes so hard? They could have insulated them to soften the blow. She also knew that Derek didn't have to throw her that hard, but she wasn't going to complain either.

Pulling herself up from the spot in which she landed, Alli glared at Derek. She couldn't stand the way he was smiling at her; like he did it on purpose. And then the wink he gave her…she had to convince herself not to charge his ass and beat him down to the ground.

"Alli, lemme take a look at your back." Shannon called to her when he saw how she landed that last time. She didn't get her hip turned around quick enough and the way she fell against the ropes had to have hurt.

"It's fine." She called down to him. She needed to prove that she was just as tough as these other guys. When one of them fell, no one ran to their aid to make sure they didn't bruise. She didn't want to be treated like she could break. Alli had once tried out for the football team at her school and she made it to the third round of cuts before the principal decided that a girl couldn't play on the team. A little rope burn was nothing compared to some of the hits she took during try-outs. "Let's do it again."

"Yeah _Alli_, let's." Derek moved in closer to her and got into his grappling stance. "I can't wait to practice pins with you."

She wasn't going to give in. She wasn't going to let this arrogant guy make her lose her temper. Alli was there for one reason and one reason only, to learn how to wrestle. She knew Derek was only trying to get under her skin. As if his conversation the day before wasn't bad enough, when she had gotten to the gym for day two, she heard Derek telling the other guys that he didn't think she could cut it. In fact, his exact words were, "I bet after one bump, she'll go crying back to Daddy and he'll just snap his fingers and Triple H will just give her a contract."

Shannon had been watching the entire display from outside the ring. Derek and Alli's chemistry had been off all day. And though Shannon didn't know what it was all about, he could tell that Derek was being more aggressive with her than he needed to be. "Do it with Layla. Derek, hit the heavy bags or something." It wasn't fair that Derek was so much bigger than Alli. His strength out matched hers, that was reason that there weren't many inter-gender matches. Most of the guys in this business were two to three times bigger than the girls. But looking at Alli and Layla together, now Alli had the advantage.

Alli was six inches taller and about fifteen pounds heavier than Layla. Their weights may have been comparable, but Alli had muscle tone, where Layla had curves. Alli was more like the Jennifer Gardner build. She was defined but not muscular. You could tell by looking at her that she worked out and that she was serious about her body. Layla was built like a stripper. She was bottom heavy from dancing, but was really petite. Alli's stride was longer, because her legs were, her arm reach exceeded Layla's by a few inches. All of that boiled down to Alli basically throwing Layla into the ropes like a rag doll.

"Holy shit!" Shannon smiled watching at the way Alli commanded Layla to do what she wanted in that ring. Against a man, Alli was the pawn, against a woman, Alli dominated. She had only been there for two days and already Shannon could see star status. "You remind me of Lita."

A little looked and the blush that stained her face, made her put her head back down. She was doing well. Shannon compared her to Lita. That was a compliment all in itself.

"Yeah…the whore." Alli heard Derek giggle from the other side of the room. Rolling her eyes at him, she reached down to help Layla off of the mat, Alli grunted when she pulled her up. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard."

"No problem. That's what we're here for, right?" Layla's smile was reassuring and she gently patted Alli on the back, watching the way the younger girl flinched. "You really need to get that looked at."

"It'll be fine." The way Layla crossed her arms and raised her brow, let Alli know she wasn't taking no for an answer. "Really? I'm okay."

"So this doesn't hurt, then?" Layla gently touched her hand to Alli's back and saw how her face changed in pain. "That's it. Take off your shirt. Let me have a look at your back."

Alli's eyes grew wide. It may have been fine for Layla to train in a sports bra, but Alli wasn't that confident. She wore a tank top and shorts, not that little girly outfit that Layla was decked out in. Not that anyone would be looking at her, but she was self-conscious. She didn't want the guys to compare her lack of sexiness to Layla's abundance of it. Alli wasn't skinny, but she wasn't fat either. She didn't have curvy hips or a large chest like Layla. She had a washboard stomach, and chest that was proportionate for her body. Where she lacked in hips, she made up in thighs and calves…jogging had lot to do with that. But no matter what any of the guys thought of her if she took her top off, she was worried what Layla would think. Maddy had always told her she was a muscular freak, and that she was man…would Layla think the same?

"You're gonna make me call Shannon up here."

Slowly Alli pulled her t-shirt up in the back and hugged the rest of the material around her front, just so Layla could look at it. She wasn't about to take that shirt off. Turning around, so that she was now facing the corner of the room where the weights were, she closed her eyes at Derek, Patrick, and James were looking at her. Then suddenly her eyes clinched in pain as Layla's hand touched the sorest part of her skin. "Layla it's fine."

"The skin is broken…you gotta put something on it." Shannon moved next to Layla and looked at Alli's back. "I think you're done for the day."

Pulling her shirt down in anger, Alli turned around. "I'm fine." That was the loudest they had heard her talk since she got there. "It's just a scrap. I'll live."

"Your back is bleeding. You need to take a shower and we got some ointment to put on it. Put an ice pack against it and sit out the rest of the day. We're almost finished this part. We're just gonna watch some tapes later." Shannon's force was stern not mean. He needed to know that he was dead serious about what he was saying, but not patronizing her because of who she was.

"That's bullshit! James' nose was bleeding and you didn't make him sit out. I have a cut on my back, I'm not dying…" And there was that famous Batista attitude. There was cockiness, an 'I can do anything I put my mind to' tone of her voice that she hadn't heard from herself in a very long time.

Just looking at her cheeks puff out in anger and that glare in her eye, Shannon saw Dave right before him. "Alli, did you hear what I said? Take a shower, sit it out." This wasn't about showing his authority, it was about knowing one's limits. There was no need to work hurt, especially when tomorrow was going to be twice as hard as today. If she didn't give her body time to heal, there was no way in the world she would be one hundred percent for what was to come.

Stomping like a child, Alli picked up her towel and headed back to toward the locker-room. How dare he show her special treatment in front of everybody? She didn't need to be babied, she was tough. But she also did something that she wished she hadn't. She drew attention to herself. She could no longer hide it; Allin Batista was no longer invisible.


	14. Chapter 14

The sounds of music bustled out of the house at almost the same volume as the drunken laughter from the people on the lawn. Red plastic cups decorated the otherwise green grass, along with a few cans. There were at least thirty people standing on the front slope, about ten on the porch and from where he parked he could see a swarm of people sitting around in the back yard. Randy Orton curled up his lip and turned off the ignition.

How in the hell did a weekend getaway turn into a frat party? Why was he even there? It's not like Randy ever went to college and if he did that would have been ten years ago. A raging Greek party would have probably been right up his alley, when he was twenty. In all honesty, he could see himself being the life of the party, running around pranking, macking, and drunk off his ass…that would have been so him had he not outgrown that shit about six years prior.

With a huff, Randy opened his car door and stepped out into the warm summer night. The sounds from the party gave him an instant headache as did the overwhelming smell of weed that seemed to have blanketed the stale air. _Why the fuck am I here?_ As he stood at the walkway and looked up at the house, he felt something crash into him.

"My bad, dude." The tall dark haired boy, wearing an Alpha Theta Epsilon shirt and a backward sun visor was paying more attention to making sure his cup didn't spill than where he was walking, smiled.

Randy looked at the kid and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." This night was going to suck ass. He hadn't even gotten into the house and already he had beer on shoes. And from the looks of things inside, he would have to travel through a sea of people to find the small brunette he was looking for.

Taking a deep breath, Randy pushed his way through the crowded door and stood at the landing surveying the scene. Drunken co-eds were everywhere. Almost all of the guys were the large football type, sporting their fraternity colors and wearing baseball caps, while the girls seemed to think that the little to no clothing was suitable party attire. And everyone seemed to have on flip-flops. _Fucking flip flops._ _Thank God I never went to college._

When he first started in the business, this was the kind of place that he would beg Ric Flair and Hunter to go with him on a day off. Not that they ever took him up on it. Ric had convinced him that it was low class. Gentlemen didn't need drunken college orgies to have a good time. Unless of course it was in one of their hotel rooms and even then they set the tone.

Shaking his head in disgust, Randy pushed passed a group of scantily clad girls and trekked deeper into the room.

"Hey!" A voice yelled at him over the deafening music. "You made it."

Randy turned and forced himself to smile at the blonde standing to his left. He stared at her for a moment trying to figure out how in the hell she squeezed into that tiny shirt she had on. Surely, it would have been snug on Ave, who had no chest to speak of, yet this rather busty woman was sporting it. And her shorts, if they could be called that, were so tight they must have been painted on. When in the hell did he get old? He could remember when he use to appreciate an outfit like that one; but not so much on a girl that his girl considered a friend. Nodding his head in her general direction, Randy searched his brain for her name. _Brenda, Brianne, Britney. _

"Brenna." The blonde smiled happily and tossed her hair over her shoulder to draw his attention to the white Gamma lettering on her tiny pink shirt.

"Right." Continuing to scan the crowd, Randy knitted his brows. "Maddy?" Why was he trying to hold a conversation over the obnoxiously loud music and equal loud sounds of drunk people laughing, anyway? All he wanted to do was to find Maddy and get the hell out of Dodge.

Either Brenna hadn't heard him or she just wasn't listening. Pushing her chest into his arm, she wrapped her hand around his neck to pull him down toward her mouth. "What?"

"Maddy?" He yelled again trying to squirm his arm away from her boob. He could feel her fingers dancing over the fine hairs on the back of his neck and the rest of her body melding itself against his. She didn't have to be that damn close to talk to him.

Sniffing his cologne, Brenna started to rock to the beat of the song playing. She knew damn well that he was looking for Maddy, but she was otherwise preoccupied. Besides, she was convinced that Maddy couldn't possibly know what to do with a man like that. "Keg stands." She turned Randy's head toward hers and laughed at his horrified expression. "You wanna drink?"

He didn't want a drink. He wanted to get Maddy and be on his way to the beach. He was thirty years old. What in the hell did he look like at a fucking frat party? "Yeah."

Randy watched as Brenna disappeared in a sea of people before he started to walk toward a particularly loud room in the house. The chant, "chug, chug, chug" ran out in unison before a round of applause filled the air, making Randy's fist ball on their own. He didn't know how he knew, he just did.

The head rush made her giggle, as soon as Maddy's feet were placed back on the floor. She felt like she had been held upside down forever, but that's what made it more fun. Trying to pull her shirt down, she stumbled backward in her fit of laughter. She loved the feeling of the blood rushing to her now reddened face, trying to keep her mouth on the tube and swallow down a river of beer; it was always her favorite part of the keg stand.

"Whoa." Maddy put her hand to her forehead and stumbled to catch her balance. The room danced around her merrily and the only thing keeping her from falling flat on her face was the solid frame of the man standing behind her.

From his position in the crowd, Randy could just barely make out the top of a short brunette's head. It was something about the whistles and cat calls coming from the guys around him that made him grit his teeth. He still couldn't see her as he pulled guys away and demanded entrance to the center of the crowd, but he just knew. By the time he had bullied his way through the horny co-eds, he saw some standard frat boy, with his tongue down Maddy's throat and his hand steadily moving up her shirt.

Maddy looked stunned when she felt the brazen way the boy whose lips had been attached to hers suddenly moved away. Holding her breath a few minutes longer, she let out a steady stream of smoke. "Shit." It was too late to stop him. Randy had already had Mike on the ground and judging by the way Mike was holding his stomach, Randy had landed a punch or two to his stomach. "Randy! Stop it!"

This was not the weekend he had imagined spending with his girlfriend. He couldn't even turn around to look at her. Standing in the middle of the room with his fists clinched and breathing heavily, Randy closed his eyes and counted to ten.

"Shotguns…"Maddy grabbed onto Randy's arm and tried to turn him to face her. If she could just stop smiling maybe she could get the words to come out right. "Randy, we were just…" She batted her eye lashes slowly at him silently reminding herself not to close her eyes.

He was done. This shit was not his scene. Without acknowledging that she had said anything to him, Randy grabbed Maddy's arm and dragged her out of the house.

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"Hey, Peanut." Dave sat on the couch rubbing his hand across DJ's back, trying to lull the baby back to sleep.

Alli's back felt like it had been sliced by razor blades. She had told Shannon and Layla that it was nothing, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. She just didn't want to seem like a quitter in front of everyone else, no matter how much pain she was in. Not only did her back hurt, but the muscles in her legs and arms burned. It hurt to sit and to stand. The only thing she could do was lie on the couch, on her stomach and try to talk with her face smashed into the pillow. "Hi, Dad."

"I'm making the rounds and checking on my girls." If there was one thing Dave hated more than anything else, it was to talk to Alli on the telephone. She wasn't talkative in person; over the phone it was like pulling teeth to get her to say anything. "How's it going?"

"Good." It was going great if not being able to feel anything but every muscle bunched up in her body at the same time was a good thing. "Everything's fine. How are you guys?"

He had to readjust the phone on the other ear in order to place DJ's head on his shoulder. Finally he had gotten him back to sleep, but one false move and he would be up again, crying. He could hear Britain humming to Mikey from the family room, no doubt walking him around to put him to sleep. Apparently there was a stomach virus going around and both of his sons had fallen victim to it. Fevers, crying, vomiting, diarrhea…not exactly his idea of a quiet weekend at home, but it beat the alternative. "We're good. The boys aren't feeling well besides that we're all doing okay."

Alli missed her little brothers. Cami was good to talk to and she kept all of Alli's secrets, the problem was she never really seemed to keep still long enough for Alli to pour her heart out to her. Mikey and DJ, though, didn't have a choice. They weren't mobile yet, so if she sat them down and started talking, the only thing they could do was listen.

"So I was calling to find out if you made a decision yet."

Alli sat up a little faster then her muscles wanted her to and she clinched in a breath. "Huh?" She had heard his question, but she didn't know how to answer it. There was no decision to be made. She had lost her scholarships; school this year was out of the question.

Dave knitted his brows at the sound of her voice. "What's wrong, Peanut?"

She hated lying, but she really couldn't tell him the truth. "I pulled a muscle jogging. It's nothing." If and when she decided to tell her father that she was pursuing a career in professional wrestling, it would be something that would have to be done in person. Not that she really wasn't interested in seeing him turn different shades of red or that vein stick out of his forehead when he got angry.

"I called Penn State to find out when the decisions have to be made. I'm waiting for them to call me back."

Panic ran through Alli's body and suddenly she felt like she was going to throw up. "You did what?" Why couldn't he just trust her to handle it? She told him she would make a decision and let him know. He didn't need to go behind her back and check up on her like he would have to with Maddy. Alli may not have been as responsible as Chase was, but she wasn't irresponsible. "Why did you do that?"

Dave was at loss. He sat on the couch holding his son, thinking of something intelligent to say to his daughter. Why had he done that? He thought that it was the fatherly thing to do, but listening to the disappointment in Alli's voice, now he wasn't so sure. "I – I didn't want you to be late turning in the forms." He muttered a curse under his breath and let out a frustrated sigh. "Peanut, I wasn't trying to make a decision for you. If you want to go to Miami, go for it. I can call them too if you want."

"Dad, I told you I would do this on my own. I don't need you checking up on me." The tears stinging her eyes were two fold. The pain in from trying to hoist herself off of the couch to answer the door bell, forced every one of her muscles to spasm in ways she hadn't known possible and the idea of what lying was going to do to her already fragile relationship with her parents scared her to no end. "I'm not a baby. Stop treating me like one."

"Peanut…"

"Look, I gotta go. I'll tell Chase you called." Throwing the phone down on the coach Alli shuffled her sock covered feet along the hardwood floor slowly, grimacing with each painful step that she took. It would be her luck that whoever it was would be gone by the time she got there. She had to brace herself on the railing to climb the two stairs at the landing so that she could balance herself on one leg in order to lift the other one onto the step. "Coming." She gritted out through clinched teeth, but was only answered by the sound of knocking.

"Alli? I gotta pee." A giggly voice penetrated the frosted glass on the front door while the knocking persisted.

Pulling the door open, Alli forced herself to stand up straight and hide the pain on her face. "Hi." This night had gone from bad to worse. Not only did she get benched at practice, she was in pain, her father was going to find out she had been lying and ruin the new life she was making for herself and now Layla was at her front door. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone?

"I came by to see how your back was doing." Layla lifted up the bag in her had to Alli's line of vision and smiled. "And eat ice cream."

Alli had to force her legs to move from the spot she was standing in enough to let her enter. She couldn't figure out why she was there. She hadn't known Layla for more than a few days and though they got along at the gym, they weren't bosom friends or anything.

Layla didn't wait for an invitation. She handed Alli the bag and looked around the room. "Bathroom?"

"Down the hall on the left." She couldn't even make eye contact. Why was it in the gym she could dominate and prove that she had just as much right to be there as anyone else? But when it came to a one on one conversation, Alli always felt like she fell short. Tucking the bag under her arm, Alli mustered up her strength to close the front door.

Layla stood in the hallway watching the careful way Alli moved across the floor. Her face was twisted in pain and she was definitely favoring her left leg when she walked. "So? What were you up to tonight?"

Straightening up almost immediately, Alli gritted her teeth and forced herself to walk as normally as possible. Sitting down without alerting Layla to the amount of pain she was in would be tricky, but she wasn't going to have anyone dote over her. "Nothing."

With a nod, Layla walked toward the couch and smiled the way Alli tried to sit the bag on the table without bending. "You had to be doing something." She took the bag from Alli's hand and plopped down on the sofa.

Shaking her head, Alli contemplated what to do. If she bent at the waist, she would pull every muscle in her thighs. If she flung herself on the couch, Alli was sure she'd hurt her back. She was going to have to stand the entire night.

Layla couldn't stop her giggle. "You okay?" She knew that Alli was hurt, hell she felt like her entire body was on fire when she first started training. But if Alli was anything like her father, she wouldn't let on.

"Fine."

Layla watched with amusement for what seemed like a full minute before Alli finally sat down. She tried to straighten her face, but it was of no use. The smile was permanently plastered on her face. "Are you always so quiet?"

And there it was. One more person that thought Alli didn't fit in. Layla was animated and bubbly, but not annoyingly so, whereas Alli wasn't. As bored and lonely as she was in Cameron, it was hard to just reinvent herself. Her shell wasn't as easy to break as she hoped it would be. With a shrug Alli stared in the direction of the television.

"That's okay. I probably talk enough for both of us." Layla's shoes landed with a thump on the floor before she tucked her short legs under her. Ice cream demanded comfort if it was to be consumed properly. "Have you made any friends here yet?"

Friends? Alli didn't have friends, she usually had fans. The people she hung around with in high school were other athletes, or people that wanted her to train with them. Nicole had been the only friend she had that she could talk about anything to. But now that was gone. "No." If her voice got any softer, Alli would have been whispering.

"Me either. I've been here for about two months and I still don't really know anybody." Shoveling a healthy spoon of Heath Bar Crunch into her mouth, Layla held her head back so that the ice cream didn't fly out of her mouth as she talked. "Unless you count Shannon and his friends."

Alli sat quietly picking at the hem of her t-shirt. She felt a poke in her arm and turned to see Layla holding the other plastic spoon toward her. Grimacing, she accepted and dug out a healthy scoop of ice cream.

"But they're so stupid sometimes. I mean, don't get me wrong, Jeff is hilarious, but those other ones…" She rolled her eyes and smiled when Alli did. "And Matt? How in the hell do you put up with him? Does he ever shut up?"

That was probably the first laugh Alli had in weeks. She had often wondered the same thing. "No. Not really."

"So that's why I'm here. You're the only other person I know really, besides your sister and she's always so busy with your niece. Shannon's being an ass tonight, so I left him and Andrew at his place."

The look of surprise must have been written all over Alli's face, because Layla laughed at it. "You and Shannon?"

With a shrug Layla dismissed the question. "I guess. He's really sweet and all, but I don't see it being anything more than it is. Neither one of us really want to anything serious. Especially not with the way he's been acting lately." Moving closer to Alli, Layla looked at her seriously. "Besides, I don't think I could be with a man that snores for the rest of my life."

Layla made Alli laugh. She wasn't at all intimidating and that feeling that they had been friends forever was instantly there. So maybe Alli would never be able to talk as candidly about things as Layla did; it really didn't seem to matter. At that moment, Alli was the most comfortable as she had been since she stepped foot in Cameron. And at that moment, she didn't think about all of the other shit going on in her life; only about her new friend.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I was struggling with this chapter for a hot minute, but there's nothing else I can do to make it flow. So with that, if it's choppy, sorry._

Chapter 15

Rolling over and looking at the clock, John Cena felt himself sigh. It seemed like his time at home was getting shorter and shorter. Vince had him doing twice as much promo work as he usually did, even if it was mostly local. He was only asking for two weeks off so that he could go on his honeymoon. Fourteen days. He didn't think that he would have fourteen days worth of promos crammed into his three days off, this week. But he had. In the last three days he had signings and appearances and now that it was Sunday and he actually needed to get ready to leave for work for the week, he was exhausted. _Who books a signing on a traveling day?_

X's eyes fluttered open before fixing on the ceiling fan. This was ridiculous. The wedding was three weeks away and it seemed like the closer they got, the more stuff had to be done. If John helped more, maybe she wouldn't be so burnt out. At the rate she was going, she was going to have stroke before she even made it down the aisle. "John, wake up." She never turned her head in his direction. Instead she started to pat his leg in an attempt to wake him.

"I am up." He rolled over to where she laid and snuggled up next to her, making sure to grind his pelvis into her hip so she could tell just how awake he was. "See?"

She rolled her eyes and bumped her head against his. There was so much to do that she couldn't even remember it all. "Come on." She patted his arm to get it off of her. "I gotta get Ave up."

Shit. She had plans with Ave this morning? Somehow John knew in the five minutes he'd been awake he had already managed to fuck things up. "She ain't here." He tried to ignore her looking at him because he knew if he made eye contact it would be like inviting her into a battle. Instead, John took the easy way out. He closed his eyes and buried his nose in her hair. Odds were she was still going to bitch him out, but it would be less severe if he was really cuddly about it. "She asked me last night if she could spend the night over her little girlfriend's house. You know the one…" Patting his thumb on her hip, he tried to recall the name. "Dericka."

John was about the stupidest son of a bitch and the biggest asshole on the planet. Not only did they a lot of running around to do but Dericka lived on the other side of town. This is what she got for leaving John and Ave alone while she and Britain went to interview photographers. Now she _had_ to get up so she could get Ave and not have a few extra minutes to say goodbye to John like she really wanted to.

He knew the sound of her breathing like the back of his hand. Soon her fingers would pinch the bridge of her nose and she would give him that, 'why the hell am I with your dumb ass', look. John couldn't understand it. He wasn't scared of X, but he knew damn well that she was the boss. "You weren't here, Ma. Shorty asked me and I took her over there." Parenting wasn't that hard. Just say yes and the kid was happy. He could do this father thing with his eyes closed. "Plus, I wanted to have some time alone with you before I gotta head out." _Compliments work really well._

"John." She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She wasn't really mad that Ave wasn't there; it just threw off her already hectic timeline. "I have a million things to do today. We have alterations, and then there are the DJs. I gotta sit down with Britain and do the place cards…"

He didn't give a damn. He told her before that wedding shit was all up to her. If they got married in their backyard in front of two witnesses he would be happy. "Sounds like you got a lotta shit ahead of you. But…" Sliding his hand across her hip he gently stuck his fingers inside the waistband of her panties. "Ain't shit getting done before me."

"Never mind that I have a lot to do today. You're horny again, so I'm supposed to drop everything and spread 'em. Is that it?"

This was a tricky move, but John nodded his head in agreement. Her blue eyes hadn't yet clouded over in anger that was a very good sign. "Ma, I ain't here most of the time. And I miss you when I'm gone. I just need enough to hold me over until I can get home again."

"Is that all you think about? You're like a dog in heat."

His eyes damn near bulged out of his head. _He _was like a dog in heat? He had been the tower of restraint. "I been home for three days and I ain't seen no parts of pussy. I'm 'bout to be gone for a week and ain't no well in hell I'm leaving without it." And it wasn't for his lack of trying. For three days he had been trying to get in her pants something fierce and got shot down every time. That shit wasn't happening now.

She giggled when he flipped her over until he was on top of her and pulling her legs around his waist. "And what if I say no?"

"You ain't saying shit. It's hard to talk with your mouth full." He knew his dimples got her every time. This is what he missed. He longed for the times where the two of them could just be as silly as they wanted to be without worrying about all of this other shit that being married would bring. Things would be stressful enough after the wedding when he brought up adopting Ave, until then, he was keeping them as simple as possible.

"I'm not putting that nasty shit in my mouth."

"You like it."

Placing both hands on the sides of his face, X shook her head at him. "What am I gonna do with you?" In a few weeks, she could do anything she wanted because legally it would be damn hard to get rid of her. She was going to marry this man; this extremely childish, ghetto asshole that she loved with all of her heart.

Three weeks seemed like an eternity, but it was moments like these that remind him of how sure he was that proposing to her was right. As soon as his lips touched hers, he didn't care that she had to go or that he needed to pack for work. Fuck getting the airport an hour before hand to go through security. The hell with that rental car reservation, too. None of that was important anymore. Nothing outside of that moment was. "Whatever you want."

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Sitting on the bed facing the little girl at the other end, Jeff Hardy raised an eyebrow. Cami's brows were knitted in deep concentration as she tried to get her pudgy fingers to maneuver her shoe onto her foot. When she looked up at Jeff, he immediately sat up straight and cleared his face of his puzzled look. He held out his hand and waited patiently as she crawled over to him and placed the shoe in his palm.

When he untied it, Cami opened her mouth in surprise. So that was the trick? Shoes were never that hard to get on when her Daddy did it for her. In fact, when her father was home, he was the only one that she would allow to dress her. Her mother would try, but Cami would find a way to run from her or wiggle out of her clothes and carry them to wherever Jeff was so she could get dressed _properly._

Jeff pulled back the tongue to widen the entrance of the shoe then held it to Cami's pink sock. To his surprise that she pushed his hand away. "What?"

Cami stuck out her left foot toward the mouth of the Wiggles shoe and started to put her foot inside. "Mmm."

"That's the wrong foot." Moving the shoe over to her right foot, his hand was again pushed away by his daughter.

Cami looked at her father with hard green eyes as if to tell him that he was doing it wrong. The right shoe belonged on the left foot. He should have known that. Of course she couldn't tell him that, so she narrowed her eyes instead. A trick she had picked up from her Uncle Matt, no doubt.

Jeff widened his eyes at her expression and shook his head as if to dare her to do something. Swiftly, he bent down to kiss her cheek and hoping to distract her before slipping the shoe on her right foot.

Cami shook her head and held his arm. "Na-h." She said clearly, causing Jeff to look at her in surprise. Did she just attempt to use another word besides Da? Was she trying to say no?

"Chase!"

Cami's eyes started to cloud over with tears. Not because his yelling scared her, she barely heard it, but because of the abrupt manner in which he got off the bed with her shoe still in his hand. "Da?" She pleaded with him.

"What's wrong?" Chase walked into her bedroom look at Cami on the verge of tears and Jeff with a big grin on his face. "What happened?"

Holding out one finger, Jeff sat back down and started the ritual of trying to put the shoe on her right foot again. But children have a way of making liars out of you and true to form, Cami refused to say anything. Instead every time Jeff tried, she just silently held out the opposing foot.

Standing with her hand on her hip, Chase tried to figure out why he would interrupt her to watch Cami stop him from putting her shoe on. Not that she didn't enjoy the silly games between them, but this really wasn't the time. She still had to pack Cami's diaper bag and make sure that Jeff had everything else he needed for his week on the road. The last thing she wanted to do was to have to call him and remind him that he needed to buy socks because he had left his on the bed. "Jeff, I'm trying to find your underwear. I refuse to let you leave without them again." Lord knows she had had enough of that lately. Jeff's carefree attitude about everything was one of most attractive qualities, but not when she would find piles of clothes that he needed that he had left behind.

Jeff's attention was redirected toward Chase and he placed the shoe on the bed. He wished that Cami would just say it for Chase. It would prove his point that there was nothing wrong with her and that she just needed extra time, but she was a normal little girl. A huff escaped his lips and he shook his head in defeat. "You missed it. She said it."

Cami really didn't care about anything but the fact that she was still in her socks. Deep in frustration, she let out a whiny grunt and grabbed for Jeff's arm. Her shoes didn't belong on the bed, they belonged on her feet and she was determined to get them there. Shaking her head dramatically, Cami let everyone know that this behavior was unacceptable. "Na-h!" Tears sprung to her eyes and her bottom lip quivered as she the dam of emotions erupted from the toddler. "Na-h, Da!" Her bellowing whine filled the room.

A simple smile was all that Chase could muster. "Did she just say, no?" Tears filled her own eyes and her hands went to cover her mouth.

"Or something like it." Jeff reached over and placed Cami in his lap, before slipping the right shoe on her left foot. He no longer cared if it was wrong, it was what Cami wanted and that was all that was important. And almost immediately, the little girl stopped crying. "That's my girl." Hoisting her up to give her a tight squeeze Jeff smiled when he felt Cami's opened mouth on his cheek.

And though Cami loved to be in her father's arms, she had enough bonding for the time being. She wiggled her way to the floor and stumbled awkwardly toward Chase. Her shoes were on the wrong feet making walking a little more difficult than normal. It didn't matter because she thought they looked better that way.

Threading her hand in Chase's, Cami looked up at her mother. She couldn't tell time, but she knew when it was time for a snack. She made a smacking noise and brought her hand to her mouth, a sign to her mother that she was ready to eat. The conversation was over and Cami continued to smack as she pulled Chase toward the door.

"I told you she's fine." As if there was ever a doubt in Jeff's mind. Cami didn't need surgery or special treatment or different schools. She just needed them to be patient with her. And he had the patience of Job when it came to his daughter.

Chase was overwhelmed that Cami said a new word, but somehow she knew it wasn't enough. She wasn't going to bring down the mood though. She was happy and so was Jeff. But this thing was far from over. Cami showed potential to get better and while Jeff was gone, Chase was going to find out just how much of an improvement she could make.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hello?"

There was a momentary pause on the other end before a smooth baritone voice interrupted. "What the fuck's wrong with you?" Dave settled himself on the floor of the living room with a grunt so that he was on the same level as the boys who were happily playing there.

Randy Orton sat up straight in the chair and tried to message the cramp from his neck. He didn't remember why he had fallen asleep in the chair beside the bed, but as soon as he looked over at the trashcan sitting beside the bed, he remembered. Did he sound pissed? Granted he was, but the last thing he wanted was for Dave to know why. Pissed off and ready to wring Maddy's neck aside, he knew for sure if Dave knew about her little partying antics, she would be packed up and sent home faster than she could bat an eyelash nothing. I just woke up." He wanted nothing more than to tell on her. But the repercussions from that would have been unparallel.

Dave smiled watching Mikey climb up onto his knees and rock back and forth like that was suddenly going to make him mobile. Crawling wasn't coming that easily for the twins. Between one not getting out of the start position and the other finding it much easier to squirm on his tummy, Dave wondered if those boys would ever learn to move. "You make it to the beach yet?"

It was one thing to ignore the fact that Randy, one of his best friends, was dating his daughter, but it was something entirely different to say that was alright with it. Unlike with Chase and Jeff, Dave decided to take a pseudo supportive role with Maddy and Randy. Trying to keep Chase away from Jeff did nothing but bring them closer, so this time, he was using reverse psychology. By pretending that he wasn't disgusted by them dating, he was sure it would fizzle out on its own. It had to. Maddy was a good girl and Randy…well he was his boy and all, but he was still very much Randy. And the idea of Randy being Randy with his pride and joy was enough to piss him off. He had been hoping for over a year that they would run their course, but it didn't seem to be happening. But he was hopeful that by John's wedding when Randy realized that Maddy had wedding fever they'd soon be on the road to Splitsville.

Before Randy could answer, he jumped to his feet. The abrupt way, in which Maddy sat up on the bed, he knew what was to come. Just in the knick of time he managed to get the pungent trashcan under her and stood back curled lipped while she continued to learn her lesson. "No. Maddy got sick."

"Is she alright?" He could faintly hear the sounds of her being sick over the phone and instantly Dave's ears got hot. "You didn't…she's not…" If Maddy was pregnant he was going to fuck Randy up. It was bad enough that one daughter had to put college on hold because she had a baby unexpectantly, but two? He had done everything in his power to make sure his daughters had everything. He raised them right. Why couldn't they wait to start a family? "Jesus, Randy."

"Dude, calm down." He thought quickly of something that Dave would believe. He couldn't really come out with, she's puking her guts out because of keg stands and bong hits. "We had sushi for dinner. Didn't really sit well with her."

Instantly throwing his hands up in defeat, Dave decided he had enough. He knew damn well that Maddy hated sushi and not even Randy was enough to make her try it again. "Right." He had enough to deal with the two little boys on the floor with him, now both frustrated that they still hadn't moved anywhere. Their whining and grunting let him know that if he didn't move them a full out tantrum would ensue. "Just tell her to call me when she's feeling better."

"Will do." Randy kept his voice as calm as possible. He was going to handle this without Dave intervening. Without saying goodbye, he hung up the phone and placed it on the night stand next to the bed. All he could do was glare at Maddy when she crashed back down on the bed holding her head in her hand.

If it was one thing she hated about Randy it was that damn staring. He reminded her so much of her father when he got that like. Britain always told her that Dave's hovering pissed her off to no end and now she knew exactly what her stepmother was talking about. "If you're going to say something, say it." She was too sick to apologize for the night before. She felt like shit and whining and batting her lashes just wasn't happening right now.

If he could just think of one thing to start with, maybe they could have an intelligent conversation, but the way he was feeling, he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I was having a good time." Did he have to be so loud? Couldn't he have talked to her in a quieter voice? Didn't he know how badly her head was pounding? "I got bored waiting for you to get there." She closed her eyes because the room was still spinning. "You're never around. I was just having fun."

"That's your idea of fun? Fucking shotguns?"

Maddy managed to open her eyes again to see Randy standing beside the bed with his hand on his hip. God, he was irritating. "You're like my damn dad. When the hell did you get to be so old? It's not like you don't do it." She bent her body into a fetal position and tried her best to settle her stomach.

She had a point. Randy did toke up every once in awhile, but that wasn't the conversation they were having at the moment. He knew what he was doing, she didn't. "You're a kid. There is no reason for you to blazing."

Her head pounded when she hoisted herself into a seated position, but the situation demanded she be eye level with him. "Since when am I a kid? I'm not your child. I'm your girlfriend. Maybe you should start acting like it. I'm not thirteen anymore, Randy. I'm twenty…an adult."

"And the last time I checked the legal drinking age was twenty-one. You want me to treat you like an adult? Then maybe you should start acting like one." He was pissed and he didn't care if she was sick at the moment. This shit was getting on his nerves. Her behavior and attitude had been working his nerves ever since she decided to pledge that damn sorority. "_Adults_ don't go to parties with a bunch of drunken frat boys, doing fucking keg stands and letting drunken assholes feel them up. Especially not when _adults_ know goddamn well their boyfriend's are on the way. _Adults_ don't get other dude's asses whipped." Why not get everything out in the open. This was an argument that had been three months in the making. "_Adults_ would give a fuck that not only are we not in the fucking Caribbean right now, but we're not at the goddamn beach, either. If you were an _adult,_ you'd care that I had to beg to get a night off to spend time with you and instead of lounging around on 140th Street, I'm holding a stinking ass trashcan full of your vomit because you don't know how to act." He wanted to choose his words carefully, but it didn't happen that way. He was pissed about a lot of shit and this little stunt at the party made him realize that he was just about at his wits end. "This is kindergarten bullshit Maddy and I'm tired of it."

"And I'm tired of you acting like my father. What do you expect Randy? You're never here. And when you are all you wanna do is tell me what I should be doing." She didn't want to argue. She just wanted her head to stop hurting. She would argue with him later, but damn he if he wasn't getting on her nerves. "You used to be so fun. What happened?"

Rolling his eyes, Randy took the trashcan and headed toward the bathroom. "I grew up Madison. Don't you think it's about time that you did?"


	16. Chapter 16

Britain opened the front door completely oblivious to the car parked in the driveway. Holding her cell phone to her ear, she rattled off the delivery schedule to Maggie, the manager of The Blank Canvas, while still fighting to get her key out of the lock. She had mistakenly thought that a day away from the house was what she needed. Instead, being at the gallery proved to more stressful than being home with both of her baby boys.

Once inside, she let her eyes sweep the living room. It was remarkable. Dave had been home with their sons and not one toy was on the floor, nor was there a crying child to be heard. Why in the hell couldn't those boys be so neat and quiet when she was home with them?

"There's Mommy." Dave's voice pierced the otherwise quiet house as he stepped into the living room from the dining room. He was holding DJ in his arms, looking almost awkward to have a child that size against his huge body. Pointing in Britain's direction, Dave tightened his hold on the infant as he started to twist and kick his legs in excitement upon seeing his mother. "Say, hi mommy."

A huge smile crossed Britain's face and she raised her brows at the marked happiness that DJ displayed. Quickly ending her call, she tossed her cell phone on the couch and met her son and husband in the middle of the room. "Hi." She cooed standing on her tip toes to kiss DJ's cheek, taking the time to run the bib cross his wet lips. "How's my sweet boy?"

"Can I have one of those? I'm sweet, too." Dave smiled, bending slightly to kiss her lips before pulling back and untangling DJ's hand from his mother's long hair. "How was your day?"

She didn't want to talk about her day. Dave didn't need to hear that the opening that she and Jeff were planning was totally fucked up. She was sure that he wouldn't care that the band they had booked, decided to take another gig that offered more money, or that the artist himself was refusing to stay in the hotel that she had arranged, because he said it "stifled creative flow". What in the hell did that mean, anyway? "Meh." All she wanted to concentrate on was being home with her family and hopefully dinner that she prayed Dave had made. "Where's Mikey?"

No sooner did she ask the question, did Mikey's foot appear at the top stairs, wrapped around the waist of someone unmistakably male. She couldn't stop her lips from turning upward into a smile. She knew that body, the shape of those hips, the gentle way the shirt was tucked in…the arms holding the baby against his chest. "Cupcake!"

"Hey, Buttercup." Chris Jericho smiled making his way down the last two steps. He walked over to Britain and kissed her cheek. "Wow…you look good." He eyed her approvingly, especially when she turned around for him to get a better inspection of the outfit she was wearing.

"That's my wife you're looking at." Dave said in a flat voice, before hearing Britain suck her teeth at him.

Taking DJ from Dave and Mikey from Chris, she kissed the boys all over their faces. She had noticed that both of the children were fully dressed in shorts, t-shirts and socks. Their pacifiers were clipped to their shirts and Mikey was steadily pushing at the baseball cap on his head. "What are you doing here?"

Jericho pulled up a couch cushion next to Britain and folded his leg neatly across his lap. "I'm here to save you." He looked up at Dave, then back at Britain. "My kids are with their grandparents until Sunday and Jess is going through some serious rugrat withdrawal. So, we decided to be good godparents and take these two off your hands tonight."

Dave and Jericho had been planning this for a week. He couldn't wait to have some time alone with his wife. Even if it was just to take her to dinner or a movie and not have to rush back because the babysitter had a curfew. It wasn't as easy to get away with two babies at home without one of his daughters still living there. At least when Maddy or Alli were there, they would watch their brothers without protest. But with them gone, it was almost impossible. "I thought we'd go out tonight."

"But…they've never been away from me for a whole night. What if they get lonely, or scared?" What if she couldn't stop thinking about them or worrying Jericho and Jess to death calling to check up on them? That was the real question.

"Buttercup, they're gonna be fine. Jess and I haven't spent time with the boys in a few weeks and you guys need some time to yourselves." She hated when Jericho made sense. The prospect of being alone with Dave was wonderful, but at the price of not kissing her boys goodnight? "He's been home for three days and what have you two done together?" Jericho shook his head at the idea. "You were a couple before you were parents, ya know?"

"But…"

"We can call and check on them." Dave assured her, picking up the diaper bags from the landing before she had a chance to protest. "And Jericho will call if there's an emergency. We can be there in ten minutes."

"But…"

Chris gave her his trademark smile. "I promise not to teach them any drinking games…yet." He stood and picked Mikey from her lap, readjusting the baseball cap on his head. "We're gonna have a good time. Right guys?" He leaned over and picked DJ up in his other arm.

There was no use in arguing. Dave and Jericho had already decided no matter what she had to say about it. "Well," she reluctantly gave in, "Mikey likes to have his back rubbed when he falls asleep. And DJ needs his white rabbit…"

"It's already in the bag." Dave said while moving to the door. He had prepared for everything. He wasn't giving Britain an excuse as to why the boys couldn't go with their godfather. "And so is the Orajel, and the Veggie Tales DVDs, and the Maroon 5 CD."

"Maroon 5?" Jericho turned his head toward Dave in question.

"I don't know. I'm only home ten days a month, remember?" Opening the door Dave raised his brow at Britain with a smirk.

Jericho waited at the door so that Britain could say goodbye to her sons. He tried to best to keep his laughter at bay when she told them how much she loved and would miss them with tears in her eyes. They were only going to be gone for the night and only three miles down the road. But, as amused as he was by her reaction, he could totally understand. He had gone through the same thing when Ash was a baby and in a few weeks, he would be leaving his twin girls, Cheyanne and Sierra, for the first time when he returned to Raw. "We'll be fine. Have fun with Dave." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, before stepping outside, talking gingerly to both of his godsons.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you're coming, right?" Layla sat on the mat, propping her back against the ring post taking a healthy swig from the bottle in her hand. Today was one of those off days where she really worked up a sweat.

Today's practice move had been slams. Alli had no idea that there were so many of them, or that they all had different names. They had all looked the same to her. Little did she know that the slightest twist of the hips, or the manner in which she picked up her appointment made all the difference in the world.

She had successfully slammed Layla's small body from one side of the ring to the other. Unfortunately the tables were turned when it was Layla's turn to practice. It was apparent that Layla had little to no upper body strength. She couldn't successfully get Alli off of the ground, unless Alli jumped to give her leverage.

Scowling, Alli stood before Patrick in preparation for him to grab her. Sparing with him wasn't as bad as when she worked with Derek, at least she knew she wasn't getting felt up in the process. The problem with Patrick was he just didn't know what in the hell he was doing. Shannon had told them when they throw their opponent to the ground to brace themselves on their knees and use their arms to cushion the blow. With Patrick, all two-hundred fifteen pounds landed directly on top of her every time.

"I don't think so." Alli said before she felt herself being scooped up. The next thing she knew she was staring at the ceiling, struggling hell to breathe. This was ridiculous. How many times had they gone over it already? "Damn it, Pat! Are you trying to kill me?" She pushed at his body to get him off of her and continued to lie there until she could feel her lungs fill with air.

Even Layla cringed at the way they had landed. She didn't know what in the hell she was doing, but she knew that what Patrick did wasn't right, either. He literally just jumped and splashed onto the mat with Alli underneath of him. "Are you just gonna let him keep doing that, then?" She directed her gaze to Shannon. "He's going to break her ribs."

Shannon, who was standing on the outside of the ring practicing wrist holds with James, happened to catch a glimpse of Alli flat on her back. "Shit. Patrick, bend your fucking legs." He didn't need to see what was had happened. He had been doing the same move wrong all day. Letting go of James' wrist, Shannon climbed the stairs and entered the ring.

Alli was still in the same position. It didn't hurt as bad to breathe if she just stayed still. But as soon as she saw Shannon walking toward her, she forced herself to sit up. She wasn't about to let him baby her or to check to see if she had hurt herself. She was sore and stiff, but not broken. "I'm fine." She said quickly when she saw his hand reaching out for her. "Shannon, I said I'm fine." Ignoring his outstretched hand, Alli pulled herself to her feet and stood eye to eye with her trainer. "I don't need you to keep…"

"Lock up." Shannon's patience was waning. For some reason, everyone seemed to be off today. "Make sure you're watching this." His eyes cut to Patrick, and then back to Alli. Without any other conversation, Shannon bent at the waist putting one hand between Alli's thighs and the other around her back. He lifted her off of the ground and held her against his chest. He turned around to face Patrick, still holding Alli in that position and spoke. "When you have someone up like this. Bend your fucking knees. Like this." In slow motion he showed everyone how to bend. "Come down on your knees and distribute your weight between them and your forearm. It's not that fucking hard." Hoisting Alli up to his chest again, he held her tighter before body slamming her to the mat. Once she was down, he moved his arms and placed them on either side of her head. "The next time you open your mouth about me being concerned, you're in the weight room all day." He lifted himself to his feet and looked around at everyone watching him. "That's it. Hit the showers."

Layla watched as Shannon walked past her, poking her tongue out at him as he made his way down the stairs. She crawled over to where Alli laid and smiled. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You're coming." She would be damned if she was going to Shannon's farewell party without someone else there to talk to.

"He hates me. I'm not going." Wincing as she sat, Alli lifted the hem of her tank top to her face and wiped the sweat. If her ribs and back would stop hurting and if Layla would leave her alone about this stupid party, she could still manage to have a decent night. All she wanted was a long bath, food and sleep. But with the pointed look Layla gave her, somehow she doubted that was going to happen.

If it was one thing that Layla El didn't do, it was to take no for answer. "He doesn't hate you. He's just all pissy today because he doesn't want to go…"

"I don't have anything to wear." Any excuse was a good one. Alli was sure she'd stump Layla with that one.

"So borrow something from your sister, or me." A huge grin crossed Layla's lips as she stood and helped Alli up. "I'll be damned if I'm hanging out with those guys all by myself."

Alli wasn't even old enough to drink. Not that she hadn't tried that excuse already. Layla simply told her that she could drink Coke the whole night. She only had to be eighteen to get into the bar, if she wasn't drinking alcohol she had nothing to worry about. "You and Chase are shorter and smaller than I am. Your clothes won't fit me."

With raised brows, Layla started to walk toward the locker-room. "Well then, just think how sexy you'll look with something short and tight on." The petrified look on Alli's face was enough to make Layla laugh out loud. "It will be fun."

It was settled, Alli was going to this bar whether she wanted to or not.

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Britain's lips touched Dave's softly before her head found its way to his sweaty chest. What was supposed to be an evening out ended up being Tai food and DVDs on the living room floor. And somehow that translated to them both naked amongst the Berber carpet. It was the perfect evening in her mind. "I miss this."

"What? Doing it on the living room floor?" Dave pulled a handful of her hair up to his face and rubbed it against his lips. His eyes instantly closed at the feeling.

Swatting at his chest, Britain shook her head. "No. This. Doing it whenever we want. Where ever we want. I remember we use to do it all over this house at least once a day." Those were the days. The days when his girls were with Emily and Britain was home at the same time he was. No room was off limits, no piece of furniture was safe. Those were the days when life was a lot less complicated and everything about their relationship was still novel.

"Yeah but I work all the time now."

"No, you're just old, now." She leaned up to kiss his neck and laughed when he smacked her bare ass.

Laying his head back against the carpet, Dave sighed. "Give me about ten minutes and I'll show you how _old_ I am." He would give anything to stay like this. Not naked on the living floor, per se, and not even to be without their children. But just to be home. Just being around to watch a movie with his wife, or enjoy his house. That's what he wanted.

The sound of the telephone ringing forced Britain's head off of his Dave's chest. She had been so comfortable that she didn't want to move, but she knew she had to answer it. She had been waiting for a call all day, and she wasn't going to chance missing it. "I have to get it." She explained, through Dave's constant protesting and trying to force her to remain lying on him. "Davey. It might be Kepper."

"Kepper?" Why in the hell would Britain agent be calling her? Why in the hell didn't she tell him that she had been talking to him? He kept his irritation to himself, watching her silently as she strolled naked across the room to the telephone.

Shit. She knew that she was going to have to talk to him about the prospect of her going back to work, but she had hoped that it wasn't going to be so soon. Especially not after the amazing evening they had. It was too late now, she had opened her mouth and stuck her foot right in it. "Hello?"

"Yes, hi. I'm trying to reach Mr. or Mrs. Batista." The voice of an older woman cut across the line.

Britain watched as Dave picked himself up from the floor and strolled into the dining room. He was pissed, she knew it. "This is Mrs. Batista."

"This is Mrs. Burgeous from Penn State University. Your husband had left a message regarding the athletic scholarship for your daughter, Allin."

"Uh-huh." Britain had no idea what in the hell this woman was talking about. All she knew was right now, Dave was in the kitchen slamming the refrigerator door, presumably because she had talked to her agent.

There was the distinct rustling of papers over the phone before Mrs. Burgeous spoke again. "We sent a letter, dated June 2nd that your daughter's scholarship had been recanted because she failed to give us confirmation by the June 1st deadline. She's been put on the waiting list and if a space becomes available she can start classes in September. But I'm afraid there is no scholarship for Allin this year." Mrs. Burgeous was silent for a moment, listening for any sound of a reaction from Britain. "If she gets the application in on time in February, it's possible that we may be able to find some money to help with her tuition for next school year."

"I see." What in the hell was Alli doing? As far as they all knew, Alli still had plenty of time to make the deadline. "We haven't seen any letters."

"I spoke with Allin a few weeks ago and she told me she was still undecided. I explained to her that the deadline was approaching and she told me that she would get back to me after to discussing it with you and your husband. I hadn't heard back from her, so I figured she took another school's offer and was too embarrassed to call. A lot of students think we take it personally if we're not their first choice."

Alli did what? She talked to this woman? She knew about the deadline and didn't say anything? Dave was going to have a fucking heart attack. "Well…thank you for calling us back."

"I'll let you know if a spot becomes available in September. Tell Allin that we really look forward to her attending Penn State and if you need information regarding Financial Aid, I can have a counsler call you."

Britain nodded her head as if Mrs. Burgeous could see her before hanging up the phone. She recapped in her head what she had to look forward to. Not only did she have to break the news about talking to her agent to Dave, but she would have to tell him about this. Did her stepdaughters do this shit to her on purpose?

No sooner did she place the phone back on its base, did Dave make his way into the living room holding a bottle of fruit juice to his lips. It was obvious by the weight of his stare that he was waiting for her tell him just why she had been talking to her agent. He wasn't going to lose his temper, but fuck if it didn't put a damper on their night and his mood.

"Davey." Britain whined and batted her lashes at him. She didn't like that fucking hovering shit he was doing, and she most certainly hated when he looked at her until she talked. But she didn't want another argument. Not tonight. "I talked to Kep to find out if there was anything local going on. I'm just inquiring." She didn't really think now was the time to tell him that she had already gotten new headshots and that Kepper was sending her picture out to all of the agencies she had done work for in the past.

"Why?" He thought this was settled, the last time they had this conversation he made it perfectly clear that she was going to stay home with the boys and he would continue to work, no matter how much he hated it. He didn't want her to give up her plans, just because he was burnt out.

Britain rounded the couch and walked toward him. He appeared to still be rational. Maybe they could have this conversation without ending up banishing him to another bedroom for the night. "Because you're unhappy. You don't wanna work anymore and our bills aren't gonna pay themselves." That Alli college tuition that they hadn't included damn sure wasn't.

"How in the hell are you gonna go back to work? You're the one that had a fit because the boys went with Jericho. How are you gonna travel?" He didn't mean to raise his voice, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be. _He_ was use to providing for his family and the thought of his wife doing it, really wasn't sitting well with him.

A few deep breaths was what she needed to keep herself from yelling back at him. She could understand that this wasn't what they discussed when they started planning to have a family. It damn sure wasn't what she wanted. She was enjoying her time at home with the kids, even if it was stressful. But watching Dave mope around wasn't exactly on her top ten favorite things to do, either. "Hey, this is your idea. You want to stay home. That means I _have_ to work."

"I want us to be home as a family, Britain." He couldn't make it any more plain than that. He could handle Britain working at her gallery, it was only a few hours a week. And hell, he could open a gym or something. All it would take was more planning on their part. "If you went back to work, you'd be gone for weeks at a time. The boys wouldn't get to see you. _I_ wouldn't get to see you…"

"And how's that different from your schedule now? I miss you like crazy when you're gone. But it's what we have to do to keep the life that we have." And they would have to do a whole lot more to pay for another college tuition. _One argument at a time_, she told herself. "Davey, I'm just trying to help. I haven't signed a contract yet. You're _not_ renewing yours. I refuse to put up with you like this for another five years. So by January, we need to have a plan in place. And unless you can come up with a better one, I'm going back to modeling."

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Alli felt her arm being ripped out of the socket as Layla pulled her through the noisy bar. The place was loud, and worst of all, hot as hell. The heat could have been attributed to the long button down sweater that she wore over her outfit for the evening. She knew she looked crazy with a bulky sweater that stopped at her knees on in the middle of June, but she wasn't taking it off. She didn't care that she had promised her friend that she wouldn't wear it in the bar. It was the only way to get Layla to stop bothering her. She really didn't think that Layla would hold her to it. Hell, she really didn't think that Layla would even remember to pick her up. She was sure that when she didn't answer the phone that Layla would assume she wasn't home.

How wrong she had been because by the time Alli got out the bath, Chase _and _Layla were in Alli's room with the contents of all three of their closets laid out on the bed. Alli had sat there feeling totally out of place. And as Chase and Layla bustled around picking out outfit after outfit holding it up for her approval, every one was met with a simple shake of her head. How many times could she explain that she couldn't wear a miniskirt and by no means were they going to put makeup on her. But no matter how much she protested, it didn't seem that they cared. They were determined to dress Alli up, even if she didn't like it.

And Alli hated the way she looked.

"Take it off." Layla spoke to Alli through a wide smile as she greeted the guys at the table. In total Shannon, Gregory Helms, Patrick, Derrick, James, Matt, and another guy that she had never met before sat there glassy eyed and laughing. "You look stupid with that thing on."

Alli shook her head defiantly. "I look stupid with it off."

"You look hot with it off. Now lose it." Layla rounded the table until she was in front of Shannon and planted a big kiss on his lips. Perching herself on his lap, she grabbed his drink and took a swallow. "Did you miss me?"

Looking at Alli with an amused smile, Shannon nodded. "Of course I missed you." He took his glass back and downed the rest of the drink. "Hey Alli."

Alli forced a painful smile as she stood quietly by the table trying like hell not to look as awkward as she felt. Should she just sit down like Layla did? No one really invited her, too. If she sat would they think that she wanted to talk to them? If she stood, would she look like an asshole all night?

"You can sit. We don't bite." Shannon smiled, motioning to an empty chair.

Derrick put his foot in the chair to prevent her from taking the seat. "Unless you want me, too." He blew her a kiss which received a flash of anger from Alli's dark eyes. "What's wrong? Did I make little baby Batista mad?"

Alli stood dumbstruck, not knowing if she should defend herself or not. It wasn't like when she was in the gym. If he got on her nerves there she could give it right back to him. But this…a social setting, this wasn't her thing.

"Hey? You gotta problem with her, take it up with me." Layla spoke up before a giggle escaped her when Shannon nibbled at her neck. "Besides, Alli got all dressed up tonight to have a good time, not to do deal with a prick like you."

Shannon's greenish blue eyes flashed in Alli's direction. "You got dressed up for me?"

"Not for you. I made her dress up though." Layla looked at Alli deviously. She as going to get her to take that fucking sweater off if it killed her.

If one more person asked Alli to remove that sweater she was going to scream. She couldn't. She didn't dress like this. She had no intentions of doing it. That was until Derrick told her that she couldn't do it, that she was afraid. Alli didn't take to being told what that she couldn't do something. Out of spite, she unbuttoned the sweater, glaring at him. She would kick his ass in a halter top, she didn't care.

A deafening silence crossed the table, save for Layla golf claps and giggles. She and Chase had worked for over an hour on Alli and she wanted everyone to see it. Alli wore an asymmetrical black halter top that started at her ribs and slanted downward to her hip on the opposite side of her body. That top exposed all of her toned abs and flawless lower back to everyone at the table. The jeans were Layla's. They were too tight, they were for Layla too, but Alli managed to squeeze into them even though they dug into her hips. But supposedly hipsters were the thing. She didn't see why, because all they did was make her ass look really big. To top it off they were way too short, but Layla convinced her that the Clamdigger look was in. And Chase remedied that with strappy sandals that caused Alli to shuffle her feet when she walked, for fear of falling. That coupled with make up; she felt like a clown. She was sure that the silence was because she looked so stupid.

The way they were all looking at her made Alli leaned over and picked the sweater back up. She knew that her face was turning red and all she wanted to do was disappear. Lowering her eyes floor, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. "Isn't she sexy?" Layla asked lifting Alli's chin to force her to look into her eyes. "She's got Diva written all over her."

There were collective nods and dreamy looks from the men at the table. It took a minute before anyone could think to speak. "You look…where the hell you been hiding that body?" Shannon asked honestly. "I been watching you practice everyday, you ain't never hinted that you were working with that."

Layla whisked her away to the dance floor before Alli actually answered that question. "You look beautiful," Layla said forcing Alli to dance with her. Well, stand there and watch Layla dance around her was more like it. Not that Alli noticed. Her head was still spinning.

Layla thought was she was beautiful.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Sorry this chapter is so long, but I'm telling 6 different stories in this thing and they have to be a little lengthy or this story will end up being 95 chapters! Hope you enjoy!

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_Pulling the zipper up to cover the back of the garment, X looked in the mirror at the young woman standing in front of her. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail exposing her long neck, the low back of the dress played off that feature beautifully. When she was little she remembered her mother telling her that a woman's most elegant feature was her neck. And looking at Ave's she couldn't agree more. "You should definitely wear your hair up."

With a frown, Ave raised her blue eyes to look at her mother's reflection behind her. "So? What do you think?" She smoothed her hands down over the dress loving the way the metallic blue material looked against her tanned skin.

X blinked back a tear and watched as her daughter turned around to face her, noticing how Ave stood with her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest. "Well, if you put your arms down and stood up straight, maybe I could get a good look at you." When Ave released herself from the stance she'd once held, X hoisted her chin. "You look so much Miklo, mija." Patting Ave's check softly, she couldn't help but to smile when her daughter did. "That blue really brings out those eyes."

Ignoring the comment, Ave looked down at herself. "You don't think it's a too low in the front? I don't have much to hold it up with." Ave fussed over the low bib of the gown, desperately trying to pull it up. She turned to look at herself sideways in the mirror and frowned. "Yup - flat as a board."

A sincere smile crossed Britain's face as placed the tiara on the top of X's head. "There. Look at the two of you." She never thought she'd see the day where not only did Ave know that X was her mother, but they both would be preparing for a wedding. _Their_ wedding. "You two look beautiful. And don't worry about your boobs. You're thirteen, you don't need 'em yet."

"Besides, you're a Perez woman," X nodded her head at Ave, "We bloom pretty fast. This week you're in a training bra. Next week you could be a C cup." She moved around Ave to stand next to her in the full length mirror. Her eyes darted between the two of them before she finally rested her head on Ave's shoulder. This was one of those mother/daughter moments she wanted to remember for a lifetime. "Your father would be so proud of how beautiful you look."

"Yeah. John's gonna love this dress." Ave couldn't wait for John to see her. She had dressed up a few times since she had met him, but never for anything this fancy. Ave didn't look like a little kid in this gown, she didn't feel like one either. She was definitely turning into a young woman and she knew that John would be smiling from ear to ear when he saw her in it. She turned to face Britain completely missing how her mother's posture changed and the look of confusion on her face. "This is definitely the perfect dress, Tía."

"It's a lot like the dress your mom was going to wear after she had you." Britain smiled absently fluffing the mesh material of X's veil. Glancing up to catch X's response in the mirror, she suddenly felt sad at the sight of her brown eyes lowering and slight slump of her shoulders. She hadn't brought up that whole John adopting Ave subject for a reason. Letting Miklo go so that X could let someone else into her heart hadn't been easy, but it was something that she managed to do. Letting Miklo go so that Ave could have a father? Britain was sure that the thought never crossed X's mind. "But it had this hideous bow in the front." She laughed trying to lighten the mood and forcing Ave to laugh, too.

Without regard to the fact that Britain was just talking about the fact that her parents were to be married before her father died, Ave raised her brows. "Well, I'm glad there are no bows on here, because this is perfect. Papi's gonna say he has the two most beautiful girls in the world." She twirled around in her dress and giggled at the thought. "And I don't think I'll need boobs until October. He bought me a really nice dress to wear to the Father-Daughter dance with him. Unless I have a really nice necklace, I'm gonna need some boobs so the front of it won't look dumb."

X's head turned slowly in Ave's direction and a look of utter confusion and hurt fell over her. "He did what?" What Father-Daughter dance? He was taking Ave to a dance for fathers and their daughters? Why hadn't anyone talked to her about it? Why were Ave and John making plans about their relationship and not including her? When did it become alright for everyone to completely forget the fact that _Miklo_ was Ave's father?

"Ave, mija, vienen. Tomar fuera de la vestimenta."_ 'Ave, honey, come. Take the dress off.' _Britain smiled as Ave shrugged and walked back toward her dressing room. Making sure that Ave's door was secured behind her, she turned to X and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was bound to happen, ya know. You're marrying a man that loves you both. She's going to see him as a father figure."

There weren't words to explain it to Britain. She wouldn't understand. Christina was marrying John, not Ave. He was going to become _her_ husband, _not_ Ave's father. "She already has a father, and it's not John."

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Peering over the glass display case, John let out a sigh. It was pointless. This was the third jewelry store in an hour and he was still no closer to finding what he was looking for. "You see anything?" He rested his hands on top of the glass, turning his head to look at Randy. Judging by the look on his friend's face, he was no more excited about being there than he was.

"Man, I don't even know what the hell you're looking for." Randy pulled out a chair in front of the clerk's desk and took a seat. He was sick of John dragging him from store to store, sick of looking at rings…sick of Maddy blowing up his fucking cell phone. Looking at the number on the display screen of his phone, he groaned. "Goddamit." Hitting the ignore feature, he placed it in his pocket.

Shaking his head, John turned back toward the display. It shouldn't've been this hard. All he needed was one ring. It didn't have to be gaudy or flashy or expensive…but it had to be nice. It had to be cute. The ring had to be the kind of thing that a father would give to his little girl. "I don't know why I brought your grumpy ass."

Randy rolled his eyes and stretched a long leg out, fully prepared to sit and watch John turn down every ring that the jeweler showed him. It was what he had done at all of the other stores; this one wouldn't be any different. "I don't know why the hell you dragged my ass out here, either. What do I know about rings?"

"You otta know something. GQ ain't gonna settle for you knocking his kid down forever." A sudden wave of nausea crossed John's body at the thought. Randy was his boy and Maddy was like his niece. But Maddy was also like Randy's niece and that shit never set right with him. He could respect the fact that Maddy crushed on Randy and he could even understand why Randy was attracted to her. She was young, cute…cool to hang out with. But they had known her since she was eleven, babysat her a handful of times...they watched her grow up for Pete's sake. It was like incest.

"Can I help you with something?" A pretty dark haired woman stood in front of the table where Randy was seated and smiled.

Randy rolled his eyes at the sound of his phone ringing from his pocket and let them land on the woman standing in front of him. She was cute. She had black hair that was cut short and soft brown eyes. He was really appreciating that white silk shirt she was wearing that hid little to nothing. In fact, he had stared at her chest long enough to notice that the gold name plate she wore read: Corinne. And when she moved to step from behind the counter, he definitely appreciated her round backside and long legs. It was something about a woman in a business suit, the little skirt that stopped above the knee and the split that made him want to see more…those corporate types were highly underrated.

Shaking his head, Randy pointed at John but never took his eyes off of her as she walked across the floor. But he couldn't really get into watching her walk because his damn phone rang again. With an attitude, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered the call. "Yes, Madison?"

"Why are you ignoring me?" Maddy's teary voice cut across the line instantly making Randy feel like shit. Maddy hardly ever cried, but when she did, it always tore him up.

He wasn't giving into her tears this time. He was pissed. He had every right to be. And if she would just let him get over it in his own time, instead of acting like psycho girlfriend, it might happen sooner than later. "I'm not ignoring you, Maddy. I told you I don't feel like talking right now. I'm kinda busy. I'll call you later."

Completely ignoring what he was saying, she cut across him, "I haven't talked to you in two days. I said I was sorry." And she had been. She was sorry that she messed up their plans to go to the beach. She was sorry that she got drunk and high and that she had let that other guy kiss her, even though she swore they were just doing shotguns. Randy didn't need to know that she got more than smoke from dude's mouth. She was truly sorry that Randy had witnessed it all. She was really sorry that he was so upset about everything that instead of spending their remaining four days together in Ocean City, he brought her back to her sorority house and he went back to work. But what she was most sorry for was when he called her two days ago, she told him that she wasn't going to be able to see him over the weekend because she was going to the Pocono's with her sorority sisters. It seemed like Maddy was sorry for everything these days. She spent more time apologizing to him lately than anything else.

"And I said fine." It wasn't that Randy didn't want her to make friends and enjoy life in college. But it seemed lately that whenever it came to them it was fine for her to make other plans. If he wasn't able to drop everything to see her, he got an ear full of pouting, whining and sniffling.

"Then why won't you talk to me?" What was going on with him lately? It seemed like all of a sudden he got an attitude whenever it came to her and having fun with her friends. Nobody else's boyfriend seemed to mind when the sisters all wanted to hang out. All of the Gammas had boyfriends that liked to hang out with them, too. Why didn't he ever want to do anything with them as a group? Randy loved a good party. So why did it seem like when it came to her, suddenly he wasn't into that anymore? "I told you that you could come. We'd have own suite. We could spend some time together. You'd get to know my friends…"

"Madison, I have a job. I have to work. I can't just drop everything and go to the Pocono's. I don't wanna go. I don't want to hang out with the _Gammas_." He could hear own voice start to rise and when he noticed John shaking his head, he pulled himself from his chair and made his way outside.

That was bullshit. Randy had been suspended more times than she could keep track of for doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. "Why do you have to say it like that? You don't even know them." Maddy crossed her legs Indian style on her bed and nodded at Brenna when she brought up his past work incidents. "You get in trouble at work all the time, if it's something you want to do. I'm guess I'm just not important enough for you to miss two days."

"Do you know how expensive it is _every time _I get fined? If I get in trouble again, I'm out. I'm so far past three strikes, being with the fucking Gamma's ain't worth it to me." Randy could barely make out the voice of another person over the phone, when he realized what was going on. Someone else was in the room with her, feeding her lines to say to him. The thought made him cringe. "You know Maddy I don't have time for this shit, right now. You wanna be all melodramatic and cry and carry on in front of your friends, fine. But I'm not being a part of it. When you wanna have an _adult _conversation with me, call me when you don't have an audience."

John watched from inside the store as Randy put his phone in his pocket and lit a cigarette. Things between he and Maddy must really be shitty because Randy was smoking again. He only did that when Maddy drove him crazy. And judging by the fact that Randy was smoking like a chimney these days, Randy was probably ready for the psycho ward. Turning his attention back to Corinne, he shook his head at the tray of rings she held in front of him. "Nah. They for lil' girls. She's thirteen, but she's old…not grown, just old."

"Is it a birthday present?" Corinne asked playing with the charm on her necklace, trying to gage just what kind of a ring John was looking for. "What's the occasion?"

"I'm getting married." A deep laugh escaped John at the shocked expression on Corinne's face. "Not to the kid…to her moms. But I wanna give her a ring, too, because I ain't just marrying her mother, I'm marrying the family."

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Placing her hand over her heart, Corinne closed her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure. "I think have something." Reaching beneath the display case, she produced a tray covered with velvet tarp. Very carefully she sat the tray on the glass and pulled back the covering. A gold band, covered with small diamonds in the shape of heart sat alone in the tray. "It totals one and a half carats."

"That's hot." He answered honestly and held the ring in his hand to examine it. It was beautiful, but would it be too much? It hadn't been this hard to pick out X's ring. All he did then was walk in the store and the first ring that he wanted to see on his girl's finger was the one that he bought. But this? It required too much thought. Was it too flashy to give to a child? Would her mother like it? Would Ave lose it? Was that the real price or was it a mistake?

"How did you propose?" Corinne's voice made John lift his eyes and blush at the question. "I mean, this idea is so sweet. I'm sure when you asked her mother it was really special, right?" Of course she would ask that question, but how was he supposed to answer it?

_This was the weekend when he was going to ask her. It was one of those rare occasions when Ave was in California visiting her grandparents and they had the house to themselves and weren't fighting. John wasn't being a child and X wasn't being high maintenance. It was perfect._

_He had been carrying the ring around with him for two weeks and no time seemed like the right time to give it to her. Had it been over dinner, he would have seemed corny. If he put it in desert she probably would choked to death off of it. If he did it in a public place and she said no, he wasn't sure he could be held accountable for his actions. _

_The key was to act as natural as possible even though he had worked out this whole speech in his mind. He was going to get down on one knee and tell her that he had never met anyone that could drive him as crazy as she could. He was going to admit that he was tired of playing house and for the first time in his life he really wanted a family…with her. And then he was going to tell her that he loved her and surprise her with the ring. It was going to happen while they were watching television, snuggled together on the couch, just enjoying some time alone. _

_But all of that preparation went straight out the window as soon as he kissed her. It was supposed to be a sweet kiss to lighten the mood, to get his nerve together and to ask the question. X, however, had other plans._

_John had been walking around the house in just track pants almost all day. He worked out like that, cleaned the pool like that, put food on the grill like that…she could only take so much. And when he emerged from the shower, intent to sit in the family room and watch a movie with her, she just couldn't look at his chest and those arms any more. _

_That first kiss lead to a deeper one, which turned into X's leg coming around John's. The next thing either of them knew, she was on kneeling on the floor in front of him. His one hand was deep in her hair while the other hand caressed her cheek. If his fingers touched her neck like that again, she was sure that she was going to dig her nails into his thighs enough to bruise him. _

_John couldn't remember his own name, let alone get the words to come out. He didn't mean to open his mouth, but it was a little hard not to at the time. "I'ma marry you." He said harshly, meaning to ask her a question and not demand the way things were going to go. _

"_Hmm?" John had been known to say some off the wall shit when she had him in this position before, but the harshness of his voice sounded made her wonder what he was talking about. Pulling back she noticed that the usual wide smile that would be on his face was replaced by a petrified expression. "What?" _

_Covering his face with his hands, John groaned. Not only had he blown the proposal, but he also stopped one of X's perfect blowjobs. This was not going how he planned it. "Shit."_

"_Wait, what did you say?" Rearing back on her legs, she tried to stifle a laugh as John got up from the chair with his pants still around his ankles. He moved slowly, trying not to trip as he walked out of the room. "Hey? Where are you going?"_

_Waddling back toward her, he resumed his seat, so nervous about what he was about to do that he didn't realize that his pants were still down. All he could think about was how he was going to recover and still come out with the sweet proposal that he had worked so hard on. "Look Ma, I ain't wanna do it like this." He took a deep breath and crushed the ring box in his palm. "You know you cool people and I really like this little house thing we got goin' on. But, um…"_

_She watched the beads of sweat forming at his brow. Sweat that she knew had nothing to do with the feeling she caused him just moments before. "Yeah and? What does that mean?" If he was breaking up with her, she was going to kick his ass. "Damn it, John." She stood up ready to have an all out war with him. "You moved me out here for this? I could've stayed in fucking Cali to get dumped! Pinche calbrone!"_

"_Ma…"_

"_I don't believe this shit. Well you know what? The hell with you. Me and Ave will be gone in the morning." _

_It was amazing, the way she could roll her neck with her hand on her hip. And the way her voice raised and when her slight Spanish accent got thicker when she got angry always turned him on. In a few minutes, she would speak nothing but Spanish to him. And though he would have no idea what in the hell she was talking about, he knew that he'd want to throw her down and fuck her until she stopped arguing. "Ma?" He leaned over to pull up his pants, while she cursed at him in a language he didn't understand. Even though she had called him a few of the words she was saying now, before. "Chris? Xaviera! Would you shut the hell up? I ain't askin' you to leave. I'm tryin' to ask you to marry me." _

_X's neck twirled one last time then she fell completely silent. "What?"_

"_I wanna marry you, aiight? I love you, damn." Standing up, he opened the box that had been dented due to him squeezing it in his hand, he showed her the ring. "See?"_

_Her angry face was suddenly replaced by a face full of tears. She went from wanting to punch John in the mouth to wanting to kiss him until his lips fell off. "That was the shittiest proposal I've ever gotten in my life." She laughed through her tears stopping just in front of him and punching him the arm._

"_Well you ain't exactly make it easy." He smiled removing the ring from the box. It was already out in the open, there was nothing else to be nervous about. Getting down on one knee, John looked at the petite blonde and held the ring out to her. "I love you, Ma. Will you marry me?"_

_She didn't mean to laugh out loud, but she couldn't help it. "Oh my God, that's so corny. That was even worse than the last one. It's so not you." Sitting herself down on John's knee, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll marry you on one condition." She watched as he raised his brows at her. "That you promise never to propose to me again."_

In retrospect, it probably wasn't the smoothest proposal in the world. It most certainly wouldn't be something that they could tell their children and grandchildren about. Most of their close friends didn't even know. Somehow, 'I was giving him head and he gave me the ring' really didn't seem to give anyone warm and fuzzy feelings. And as long as X didn't talk about it, neither would he. "I kinda just blurted it out." He settled on, before handing the ring back to the saleswoman. "I'ma go with this one."

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"Uh-huh…okay…right…I don't know…" Watching Cami when she was in a willful mood was hard. Talking to her mother was even harder. Doing both at the same time was nearly impossible. "She's here. You could ask her yourself." Chase narrowed her eyes and shook her head at the busy little girl standing by the kitchen table. She knew what Cami was up to, even if Cami was trying to play innocent. Shaking her head as Cami inched closer to the table with a smile that would melt any other parent's heart, Chase pointed a stern finger in her daughter's direction.

Cami moved the seat out from the table and leaned her weight on her elbows so that her feet left the ground. She was determined she was going to get in that chair by herself. There were cupcakes sitting on the table untouched for no reason. They were sweet, they smelled good…they had colorful sprinkles on them. So what her mother shook her head and pointed her finger? Cami pointed her finger back and then pointed to the table. "Mmmm." She had her little heart set on what she couldn't have and if her daddy was there she wouldn't even be having this argument.

"Camille." Chase said with an unwavering voice before walking over to the chair and picking Cami up. "Sorry about that."

Cami protested with whining and pushing at Chase while being carried away from the table. But at least being her mother's height, she could see that there were more tasty treats on the table than she had originally thought. "Na-h!" She yelled, pushing Chase's shoulder and pointing at the table.

"What's all this all about?" Layla held her arms up toward Cami and took the angry little girl from her mother. It was no surprise that as soon as Cami was sitting on Layla's lap did she find her dark curls most interesting. "You want to put one in?" Reaching on top of Cami's head, she unhooked the pink barrette and handed it to Cami. She would have a headache no doubt by the time Cami finished, but if it would stop her from screaming, it was worth it.

"Here." Chase stood behind the couch holding the phone over Alli's shoulder. She could never understand how Jeff could watch wrestling videos all day long. For the longest time, she thought it was just one of the weird things that only he and Matt did. But now Alli and Layla were doing it? "It's Mom."

Alli's heart almost stopped beating in her chest. Her eyes grew wide at the mention of her mother's name. She didn't know whether to take the phone or not. She wanted to talk to her mother. She missed her. But what if she just wanted to say more hurtful things to her? What if she had disappointed tone in her voice when she talked to her? What was she supposed to say? Shaking her head, no, Alli looked up at her sister.

Chase covered the receiver and pointed the phone at Alli again. "Talk to her." She didn't know what went on exactly between those two. Chase and her mom weren't that close. They got along, better than Emily and Maddy did, but they were nowhere near as close as Emily and Alli. It was weird not having the two of them talking, if for no other reason than Emily now wanted to talk to her. "Allin…take this phone…"

She had been having a shitty day. It started with Cami's doctor's appointment early in the morning. Cami cried the entire time. She had a full blown tantrum at the Imaging Center where they did the CAT scan. Then she screamed all through the second conciliation. And when they got home, after Cami's nap, she woke up in a particularly defiant mood. She'd been in everything and been put in time out three times in the span of an hour. And now this…Alli having her own tantrum about talking on the phone. If Chase didn't know better, she would have thought that she was being punished for having Cami evaluated without Jeff's knowledge.

"I don't wanna talk." Alli's voice was barely audible as her eyes lowered and refused to meet the inquisitive gaze of Layla's who was sitting on the other side of the couch. She wasn't ready to talk to her mother yet. She couldn't, not being as conflicted as she felt at the moment. When she was home she had been able to convince herself that that thing with Nicole was a one time deal. But now, daring a glance at Layla who was looking at her with concern, she wasn't so sure.

Alli had never _liked _a boy, so she really didn't know what she was feeling. But the curiosity, the constant wondering what Layla was doing, the thinking about her way too much…the feelings of inadequacy when she was near her, the way she could just sit there and look at her hair and be completely content…those were feelings that Alli wasn't sure she could convince herself were just friendly.

Chase was tired, she had a headache and she really didn't feel like dealing with it.

"Mom, Alli's gonna call you back." Chase disconnected the call before her mother had time to argue. She would hash this out with Alli later. Right now, she had to get Cami's socks and shoes on, drop her off at her father-in-laws and get to the library for a study group. "Come on…we're going to Grandpa's." Smiling at her daughter, who started to cry again the moment Chase picked her up, she shook her head. It was days like today that Chase really missed Jeff. "God will this day never end?" "Make sure to set the alarm before you leave." She yelled to Alli over Cami's screaming as she headed toward the front door.

It was quiet now. There was no Chase talking or Cami crying. It was just the television that was turned down low and the sound of Layla looking at Alli. Over the last few weeks they had grown into somewhat of a friendship. Layla was by far the closest thing to a friend that Alli had there, and she would consider Alli the same. That's why she kept coming around. Since Shannon left, Layla didn't have anyone there that she hung out with. She wasn't doing much with the WWE, especially sent they had sent her for character development.

But she hung around because she could learn a lot from Shane. He had been trained by Jeff Hardy, next to having Jeff or Shannon teacher her, she couldn't ask for more. Besides, Cameron was nice enough. It was quiet, the people were relatively friendly, and finally she had made a friend; albeit a quiet friend, but a friend nonetheless. "Are you alright?"

Alli's head barely nodded as she started to pick at the thread at her gym shorts. She was fine. Or at least she was going to be. One day she would be able to talk to her mother. One day all of this would be behind them. One day Alli would figure out who she was and what she wanted.

"Don't you get along with your mum?" Turning her body to face Alli, Layla pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. Understanding Alli's silence, she nodded her head in agreement. "Me neither. We use to be brilliant together, but she doesn't agree with some of the choices I've made."

Alli could understand that. She hadn't even made any choices and her mother had a fit. Her mom didn't like her ideas much less trust her enough to make her own decisions. "And I'm her favorite."

"But then you did something that she pissed her off and now you two don't talk." It was like listening to her own story. Even if Alli wasn't divulging information, Layla could read her body language. Though she had never been as painfully shy as Alli she knew what it was like to fall from grace. "My mum had a fit because she didn't approve of who I was dating. Then she got pissed when I came to the states. Now, I shake my ass on national television, and she won't talk to me. Doesn't stop her from cashing the checks I send her every month. But, what can I do about it?"

Was that what was going to become of Alli's relationship with her mother? Would they just be reduced to people that shared the same blood line? The thought terrified her. No matter how pissed at her Emily was, Alli loved her. "Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes. But, I like what I having my own way in the world. 'at's not to say that I don't wish that I had her talk to, though. You're lucky. You have your dad and your step-mom, no?" Resting her chin against her knees, Layla studied the way Alli wound the string to her shorts around her finger.

This was weird. No one ever asked Alli questions about herself. Her father would ask what was going on because he was nosy. Britain wouldn't pry unless Alli came to her first. Chase was too busy with her own life and Maddy didn't care. She wasn't used to having anyone want to get to know her, or what she thought. What if she sounded like an immature brat if she talked? What if Layla thought she was a freak if she told her what kinds of things she had been feeling? It was too risky. "I'm not that close to my dad. They got divorced when I was a baby. Then he started body building and traveling, so he wasn't really there. When he came home, he'd hook up with my mom and then she'd cry when he left." She could still remember what it felt like to go to sleep at night knowing that her dad was home and that her mom was happy. Just she could remember waking up in the mornings only to have him leave and go back to his house.

She could remember each one of his girl friends and how much she hated them because it hurt her mother and he didn't care that it did. While he was off doing his thing, Alli was the one there while her mother cried. Alli was the one that had to hear about how much of an asshole he was. And for that, she could never allow herself to get really close to him. Nobody that could hurt her mom that way deserved her trust. "I love my dad and he tries really hard. My sisters are really close to him. I'm not."

"What about your step-mom?"

With a shrug, Alli finally lifted her eyes. Layla was actually wrapped in her conversation. She wasn't doing anything else but listening. That was new. "Britain's cool. I didn't like her for a long time, 'cause my mom doesn't. We get along now. But, she's got my little brothers and my sisters run to her for everything. She's busy."

"I'm sure she'd listen if you talk to her." Layla had only met Britain a handful of times, and she seemed nice enough. But it was hard to believe that Alli could grow up in the same family that produced Chase, the happiest woman she had ever met, and feel so alone.

"She does, but… I lied about school. I told my dad that I hadn't made a decision yet. I told him I still my scholarships." Blinking back the tears at the sound of Britain's disappointed tone, Alli couldn't help but to regret what she did. "She didn't even ask me why, I gave them away. She just said, 'what am I supposed to tell your father?'"

Reaching a hand over to push her hair behind her ear, Layla poked out her bottom lip in Alli's direction. "Is that why you're here, 'cause you don't want school? Is this what you want? This life? This business? It's not easy." She wouldn't preach, but she would be honest. Being in the WWE wasn't at all what she had expected. "There's little to no respect from the guys for what you do. They seem to think of you as entertainment, while they're the real talent. They're nice about it, though. But, you can tell how disinterested they are when the Divas are brought up at staff. The traveling is hard. If you want stability, this isn't the job for you. It's hard work. Sometimes degrading yourself to shit you'd never dream about doing. But if it's what you want, go for it. Don't look back. I never have."

"I don't know what I want anymore." Alli admitted quietly moving her head away from Layla's hand. She was too close to her. Alli was getting too intimate with her. If she was trying to convince herself that she wasn't feeling what she thought she was, Layla touching her proved her wrong.

With a knowing smile, Layla stood from the couch. "You know exactly what you want, Allin. You're just afraid to let yourself have it."

Alli closed her eyes as Layla walked in the kitchen, because what she could possibly have, she knew she shouldn't want.


	18. Chapter 18

Dinner had been fun, though she didn't talk that much. Alli's lack of conversation really wasn't a problem when Layla was around. Layla talked enough for both of them and she had this way of making Alli feel like she belonged, even if she only opened her mouth to answer a question. And when they went to Finish Line for Alli to get new track shoes, Layla didn't complain. Instead of reprimanding her for not wanting to look at thigh high boots, Layla requested to try on and bought two pairs of Pastry tennis shoes for herself. Granted they were way more girly than the New Balance and Nike that Alli got, but it was the fact that she appeared to have just as much fun in a tennis shoe store with Alli as Alli had with her at the Mac Counter.

And now they were here. Love Craft was something like Alli had never witnessed before. Alli wasn't that naïve; she knew that adult toy stores existed. There was one on practically every corner near where Britain used to live in Miami. She had even found a bag or two from stores like these in the trash at her father's house on more than one occasion. But it was one thing for strangers and her step-mother to shop at places like this. Alli standing in the middle one? The thought had never crossed her mind.

She watched from the front door, unable to move, as Layla moved around the shop. How could Layla be completely unaffected? Didn't she notice or mind that other people were in there? Didn't she didn't mind that if she actually bought anything, everyone there would know what she was going to do with her purchase? She couldn't have minded because Layla was standing directly in front of a rack of items, taking one off the shelf and reading the back of the package.

Alli closed her eyes for a brief moment in an attempt to become invisible. Why couldn't she act as natural as everyone else there seemed to be? They were all there for the same purpose. They were just as guilty by being there as she was. Apparently, none of them had a secret. Sure, Alli could pretend she was just checking out the toys, half of which, she had no idea what in the hell they were used for. But what would they say if she migrated to the section that interested her the most? What would Layla say if she rounded the corner and found her in front of the 'Girl On Girl' video aisle? Would she be disgusted? Would she make fun of her and call her names? Would she tell Chase or worse, her father? No. Staying by the front door was the safest place for her to be.

"Oh my God! Alli, come here! Look at this!" Layla's voice was jovial as she called to Alli from across the store. As she rounded the rack of phallic baking trays, she raised her brow at Alli standing there with her eyes closed. "You can actually walk through here you know? You don't have to hide in the corner."

Layla was being loud. Alli just knew that now everyone was looking at her. How was she supposed to be invisible when Layla was calling her name from across the room? Now everyone would know that she didn't belong there, that she didn't have a clue as to what life was about. Yet another place that Alli found herself an outsider.

Her eyes opened slowly only to see Layla looking up at her with a wide smile on her face. But even the comfort of Layla's face couldn't force her feet to move. That was until Layla walked over to her and took her by the hand. "Come on. I'm gonna break you out of this shell, if it kills me." Chucking at Alli's expression, she continued to walk, pulling the younger woman behind her. "Look at this." Stopping in front a display Layla raised her brow and turned toward Alli. "Now I ask you, who in the hell is going to use this?"

"They sell sports equipment?" Alli asked quietly trying not draw any more attention to herself. She stood in front of a display of balls that ranged from golf ball to softball sizes. But looking over the sign in front of the display Alli could feel her eyes widen. "That's not for…"

Nodding her head in disbelief, Layla let out a laugh. "It is. Who's sticking that in their ass? You definitely couldn't walk after that." Turning around to the wall behind them, she left Alli standing there looking at the anal beads with a confused look on her face. "Now see, this looks too complicated."

Alli was almost afraid to turn around. But she did and cocked her head to the side trying to figure out what she was looking at. "Are those jock straps?"

"No silly, this isn't Sports Authority. These are harnesses. You know, like for strap ons…" She motioned her hand in hopes that Alli would catch onto to what she was talking about. But clearly from the look on her face, she had no idea. Pulling Alli to the side, Layla lowered her voice. "Are you a virgin?"

Alli lowered her head followed by her eyes. Would she ever not be a freak? Would there ever be a time where she would be able to fit in, anywhere? She could've lied, but it wasn't something she was embarrassed about. Layla's shocked expression though, said otherwise.

"Oh, Alli, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I shouldn't've brought you here." She felt like a tool. It was a Saturday night and she had nothing else to do. The mall had already closed. Alli wasn't old enough to drink, plus she had already shown that being at a bar wasn't her favorite place to be. Shannon was in Japan and there was nothing good playing at the movie theater, Layla was feeling a little lonely. She figured why not go shopping? She had always done it with her friends back home. She figured it would be cool to hang out with Alli, they get a few laughs out of it, and she could pick up a few things to aid in her loneliness. Never once did she think that she would embarrass the hell out of Alli in the process. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have come in here."

Alli shrugged still not allowing her eyes to meet Layla's. "It's okay."

"It's not okay. You're only eighteen. I shouldn't've expected that you were into this." Still feeling Alli's apprehension, Layla touched her hand to her arm. "I think it's really sweet." She gave her a wide smile when Alli finally looked at her and stepped back with her hands at her sides. "We can leave."

"No. It's okay. It's fine." It was fine if they stayed because Alli curiosity was getting the better of her. From where she stood, she could see the overhanging sign and the shelves full of movies. She just wanted to see one…just to know what it was all about. She had a working theory of what being with a woman was like. She had figured that much out from the Sex Education classes she'd had in high school. Just take out the boy and insert a girl. It had to work the same way. But it wouldn't be as violent would it? It wouldn't be a lot of grunting, right? She'd gathered that much from living down the hall from her father and Britain. Her idea of sex with a man hadn't been that damn appetizing, judging from the sounds that sometimes carried down the hall in the middle of the night. But with two women, she imagined it would be soft and gentle. It wouldn't sound so animalistic. But would it look natural? Would two women's bodies look like they belonged together? Would it look as enjoyable as she thought it would? "So how does this harness thing work?" Tearing her eyes from the video area, she forced herself to look back at the display wall.

"I don't know. This whole Vacu-Lock-System looks complicated." Layla picked up a package and read the directions. "Apparently the attachments are interchangeable with other Vacu-Lock-Systems. Well, that's good to know." She read the directions as if she was reading the directions to bake a cake. "Which is optimal for varying sizes of dongs…that's the stupid word I've ever heard. What the hell is a dong?" She shook her head and laughed when Alli did.

Alli dared to reach out her hand to pick a harness off of the wall. It was black and made of a nylon and vinyl blend to make the straps. Holding it between her hands, Alli put it up to her waist like she would underwear. The front of the garment had a small amount of fabric that reminded her of the front of a thong, but with a little pink protruding prong on it. She assumed that the other straps went around the thighs. But on the inside, on the opposite side of where the prong was located there was a soft pink pad. "What's this part for?"

How could she explain it without completely traumatizing the girl? "That's for the wearer's _comfort._" Layla nodded her head completely satisfied with her answer, but Alli's face proved she didn't know what she was talking about. She didn't want to get technical; that would really send Alli into shock. "If it's two women using it, then the one with this on…never mind. Come here." Pulling Alli's arm, she walked her over to the section of the store that Alli had been eyeing from afar. Layla browsed the titles until she found the one she was looking for. "I love this movie. See look…" She flipped the box over to show the screen captions on the back. "The one wearing it doesn't get much out of it. This part," Layla rubbed her thumb across the pink cushion, "provides _stimulation_."

"You watch these?" Alli was no longer interested in the movies as much as why Layla watched them. "But you…you like Shannon."

"And? Chicks are hot. Besides, a lot of people watch these. You don't really have to be into girls to like it." Layla took the harness from Alli's hand and walked it back over to the toy section.

Alli stood there completely dumbfounded. Layla watched these kinds of movies? Would she think that she was weird if she got one, too? Alli let her eyes rake over the titles, looking at various pictures on the boxes. Some were really raunchy. Some were old. Some showed women holding leaches that were wrapped around other women's necks. Some had more than one woman with a man and they were all doing things to each other. And then her eyes landed on the most non-threatening box she could find. _The Garden of Eden_. The girl on the front cover was young and beautiful, and she was even walking along in followed covered pasture. Alli found her lips moving as she read the back of the movie, and then she read the last line aloud, " _Eden__ goes on her journey of self discovery blossoming into the beautiful woman that she longs to be." _

"You find something?" Layla's walked behind Alli and leaned up against the movie rack. Taking the box from Alli's hand, she read the title. "She's really pretty. You gonna get it?"

Alli couldn't get it. It was one thing to be brave enough to hold the box in her hand, but to actually buy it? Where and when would she watch it? What was she supposed to do when she watched it? She wanted it, but she wasn't going to get it. "No. I was just looking at it." She lowered her voice in embarrassment, praying that Layla couldn't tell the truth.

With a knowing smile, Layla walked toward the front of the store, still holding the movie. "Is there anything else you want to look at?" When Alli said no, she placed her items on the counter. She engaged the clerk in minimal conversation as he opened the package that Layla sat down and placed batteries inside. The device started to vibrate and Layla nodded her head in approval. " Shannon won't be home for another week." She explained as Alli stood uneasily listening to the buzzing sound. "Girl's gotta take care of her own needs sometimes, ya know?"

Could this get any more mortifying? What was she supposed to do, nod in agreement? She had no idea. Alli wasn't stupid; she knew that people got themselves off. She had shared a room with Maddy at her mother's house, roomed down the hall from Britain at her father's, she wasn't clueless. But people didn't talk about it, did they? Or did they just not talk to her about it?

"Here." Layla handed Alli the black plastic bag before heading out of the door. "It's a gift for dragging you in here."

Alli peered in the bag unable to vocalize what she was looking at. The movie. Layla had bought it for her. The shock and embarrassment that she felt didn't compare to the twinge of excitement.

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"Jeffrey. We're fucked. That crackpot that we were supposed to have the exhibit for cancelled. We have three weeks to find something else. What are we gonna do?" Britain sat in front of her laptop holding papers in her hand. Reaching up to kiss DJ who was in Dave's arms, she turned her attention back to the contract. She didn't have time for this. There was only two weeks before John and X's wedding and Britain was still working on X's bachelorette party. She and Dave hadn't talked since the night before when he found out that she had been talking to her agent. She was still trying to figure out what Alli was doing pissing away her scholarship. And now this. "Got any suggestions?"

Jeff laid back on the bed in his hotel room and looked at the ceiling. His back was killing him. There was no way he would be able to keep doing this. "He did?" He grunted trying to get comfortable and ignore the burning pain that was traveling down his leg. "He say why?"

"Something about being raped by the system or some shit like that. I don't know what he was talking about." Rolling her eyes at the thought, she picked up the copy of the check and looked at it. "You know we really need to charge more than five grand for a cancellation fee." Five thousand dollars really wasn't going to help the fact that they had a caterer, decorations, invitations, press junkets, and a band. It would cost way more than $5,000 to cancel all of that. "Why don't we have PR people to handle this?"

With a strained chuckle, Jeff rolled onto his side. "I thought that's what you did." Jeff respected that Britain took their gallery so seriously. It was close to her house for a reason. With her being home, she could take care of the day to day stuff. She was the one with famous contacts, so she made sure that the artists got a feature exhibition that they deserved. All he had to do was find the talent and show up on the exhibition opening day. But Britain did the rest and she really didn't seem to mind. Her name and her connections alone are what made sure that they could afford to keep the Blank Canvas' lights on. He loved the fact that she took their little business venture so seriously.

"Shut up." She laughed back. As much as Britain loved to throw a party, these artist types were getting on her nerves. She had too much going on with her family that seemed like were drifting away and her twin boys that demanded her attention every moment they were awake. "I'm serious, Jeff. We need people. This is getting ridiculous. I don't know how I'm gonna cover this up."

Jeff closed his eyes for a moment and let out a deep sigh. He wasn't sure that this would work, but it was worth a shot. "I could call Shannon. He's been asking me about doing something with Gas Chamber."

It was a stretch but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Featuring tattoo art work from Shannon's shop didn't really go with the pastel colors she had picked for the decorations. And the three piece orchestra she had settled on really wouldn't fit the look. But she had three weeks and it wasn't too late to change the colors or to find yet another band. "Can your group play?"

"I ain't singing. I don't sing in front of people." Jeff may have song with his band when they recorded, but in front of an audience, that was totally different thing. "I'll ask. Lemme talk to Shannon and see what we can work out. I'll call you back tomorrow."

After saying goodbye, Britain laid back on the bed. She wished she could vent to Dave, but she was supposed to be mad at him, or was he mad at her? She couldn't remember anymore. It didn't seem to really matter at that moment. Hearing her bedroom door open again, she let out a long breath and pulled her glasses off. "We need to take a vacation."

She was talking to him? She hadn't said more than good morning to Dave all day. He was still pissed about the whole her going back to modeling thing, but he wouldn't ignore her and risk having a huge fight. "What's going on?"

"Oh, the artist cancelled. Jeff's gonna ask Shannon Moore for some stuff from his tattoo parlor. If he says yes, then I need a new band, new decorations, invitations, and a press release. I still don't have a place for the bachelorette party. Maddy's upset because she and Randy are fighting. My mom told me that Vati's sick…the boys are teething, and you're mad at me." Turing her head in his direction, she cracked a faint smile. "The usual."

Closing her laptop and stacking the papers on the bed into a neat pile, Dave placed everything on the night table on his side of the bed. He really felt bad that Britain had to deal with everything by herself. Not that he could help that much if he were home more, but at least he could be there so she wouldn't feel like she was doing everything alone. He could help more with the boys while she worked at her gallery. He could field some of his daughters' problems so that she could concentrate on her parents. He could at least do something. "I'm not mad at you." He sat on the bed and placed her foot on his lap. He watched as her face started to settle as he gently massaged her heal with one hand and her toes with the other. "I just don't want you to go back to work."

"I don't want to have this conversation again. I just want you massage my feet and let me pretend that I'm on a beach somewhere without any of this other stuff hanging over my head." She sighed gently feeling the stress leave her body.

No decisions had been made and none would be made immediately, but Dave knew that right now wasn't the time to go into it. "How 'bout this? After your exhibit opens, we'll go away for a weekend. We'll get Jericho to watch the boys and we'll go somewhere. Just us."

"That sounds nice." Sitting up to look at Dave, she leaned her body over and kissed him softly. "But you know what would make me feel better right now?" She shook her head no at his devilish smile and that little chuckle that escaped him. "If you washed my hair."

Raising his brows at the suggestion, Dave got off the bed and held his hand out toward her. He loved her hair, he loved to wash it. Plus, if he had her naked in the shower, he might even get lucky after her hair was washed.

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Chase turned on Cami's angel nightlight before leaning over to place a kiss on the top of her head. She couldn't stop the smile on her face at seeing that Cami had again detached her hearing aid. There was nothing stopping that girl from doing what she wanted if she had her mind set on it. Being as careful as she could, Chase reattached the device to the side of her head and held her breath when Cami squirmed.

She wondered what it was like, being deaf. Did sound suddenly burst in Cami's head when her hearing aid was in? Did not being able to hear sound quiet like being underwater or was it completely still? Was she ever afraid because she couldn't hear what was going on around her? Did she miss something that she never really had? Smoothing her hand over Cami's blonde hair, she leaned down and kissed the baby on her head.

Making her way out of Cami's room, Chase noticed the light under door in Alli's room in the otherwise darkened hallway. It was pretty late, and she knew that Alli had would be getting up early to jog. She figured she probably just fell asleep with the light on, it wouldn't have been the fist time. Quietly, as not to wake her, Chase opened the door to find her sister sitting on the floor, legs crossed Indian style.

Alli figured it was late enough that Chase would be asleep. After the day she'd had with Cami, there was no reason for Chase to still be awake. She didn't want anyone to know what she was doing, so when she put on her DVD she turned the volume down as low as possible. She sat directly in front of the screen to so that she could hear, not because she wanted to watch up close and personal. If only she knew that behind her, Chase was now watching what she was.

It took a second for it to register, but Chase realized that the blonde on the screen wasn't smiling because she was doing crunches. And when the red haired woman that she was with emerged from between her thighs and picked up a purple object and stuck it in her mouth, Chase had to stifle her scream of horror.

By the time Alli's head whipped around her eyes were as big as saucers. She pivoted around until she was standing in front of the screen as if to shield the sight from Chase's eyes. "Um…," she stammered. What was she supposed to say? How could she explain to her sister that she was watching porn. Not that she needed to explain it, obviously Chase already knew it, what how could she defend it. "It's not mine."

"I'm sorry." Shaking her head and backing out of the room, Chase couldn't even meet Alli's eyes. She was more embarrassed than Alli was. She really didn't care what Alli was doing, she was an adult and if that was her thing, okay. But to barge in her room while she was watching it? She just wanted the image of Alli's face in rapt interest off of her mind.

Sprinting toward her room, Chase had never been so happy to hear the phone ring in all of her life. "Hello?" She answered breathlessly after landing on her bed.

Jeff smiled at the sound of her voice and let his eyes drift shut. "Hey, baby. Where you been all day? I called you."

"You did? I didn't get any calls." She wasn't about to tell him where she and Cami had been. She'd wait to until she got the results from Cami's tests to have another argument. But knowing Jeff like she did, she knew that he wouldn't pry or demand to know why she hadn't called him back. "Oh my God, guess what?"

"What?"

Settling back on her bed Chase rolled on her side and lowered her voice so that no one else but Jeff could hear. "I just walked in Alli's room because I thought she was asleep. Well she wasn't. She was watching porn! My little sister…Alli, the quietest person in my family, was watching porn."

"So? You watch it." Jeff tried to conceal his grunt as he shifted yet again to get comfortable. What was with everyone in his house watching porn when he wasn't home? That was so unfair. He couldn't watch any. He probably couldn't get up to use the bathroom as much pain as he was in. "Was it anything good?"

"I don't know. I didn't see that much of it. And when I do it, it's for research. _And_ I make sure that nobody's home." She was silent for a moment noticing the clipped way Jeff's voice sounded. "What's the matter?"

He didn't want to alarm her. Chase was one of those 'let's go to the doctor for everything' types. The last thing he wanted was for her to get all upset because he had hurt himself. "Nothin'. I just twisted my back wrong."

"Is it bad?" She wasn't going to tell him again how much she worried about him doing the things he did in the ring. Jumping off of the top rope and scaffolding was one thing if it was a pay-per-view, but for Raw and House Shows, it wasn't worth it. The last thing she wanted was for him to paralyze himself doing some stupid move that he had no business doing. "Did you see the trainer?" She asked the question almost afraid that he would answer that they gave him painkillers.

"It's not that bad. I got a massage, took a bath and now I'm just trying to wait it out." It wouldn't have been so bad if he could have taken some Toridal. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. He refused to do anything that would threaten his sobriety, no matter how much pain he was in. And though he was sure it was going to get better, he still knew that worried sound in her voice. "If it's not better in a few days, I'll go to the doctor when I get home." If he changed the subject now, he wouldn't have to listen to her try to convince him that he should go sooner. "So…what was my little girl up to today?"

What _wasn't_ Cami up to was the question. How much should she go into without letting on to what they actually did? "Well, she was into everything, as usual. She was in time-out about fifty times. She had a few tantrums and tried to steal cupcakes. But of course, she was a perfect angel for your father. I should have named her Spawn."

He couldn't help but to laugh at Chase's description of Cami. "Not my little angel. You just don't understand us inquisitive type."

"Inquisitive? Bad, is more like it." Sitting up on the bed, she took a deep breath. "I got a call from The Hearing and Speech agency today. They want us to come in next week for an interview." Her voice lowered as she spoke, because she knew what his reaction was going to be.

"Yeah?" His tone was flat. He wasn't interested in going to interview yet another school. But he also wasn't interested in fighting about it. "Why do we need to go in now? She's not even two yet. She ain't gonna start school for another two years."

"They have a program that starts at two. We only have another month. I figured we could check it out now." Chase rested her palm against the side of her head and listened to Jeff breathe on the phone. He was pissed. When he got quiet, he was upset. "Their tuition is really affordable, and if she gets SSI that would cover it…"

"Wait, what? What the hell does she need SSI for?" Why was Chase always digging up stuff when he wasn't there? Would she ever just let Cami be a kid? "Cami can't get that."

This was conversation to have in person. This was a fight that needed to be had face to face. "Yes she can. She's disabled, Jeff. Her doctor filled out the forms. She meets all of the qualifications. I have an appointment on Monday with them."

"Why are you just telling me this?" He could understand that they didn't agree on Cami, but for Chase to keep things from him about his daughter was unacceptable. That was his daughter too. He should know what was going on. "How long you been working on this?"

She felt like she was getting in trouble by her father. Instantly her lip poked out and her voice got soft. She started to wind her hair around her finger and refused to lift her eyes. "A few weeks. Look, I just didn't want to fight about this, too. I don't like it when we fight."

"But Chase you can't keep this kinda stuff from me. We might not agree, but we're supposed to be a team, right?"

A team? When it came to Cami? There was a team, the two of them against her. How could they be a team when they couldn't even agree that there was a problem to begin with? "I know. I'm sorry. I was just looking at some of those tuitions and I know we can't afford them. But this could help."

He made a pretty good living on his own. He made enough money to make sure that they had a house, land, cars, and that their wants and needs were taken care of. Hell, he even made enough money to make sure that Chase's education was paid for. But this? Being a one income family, he knew damn well that he couldn't afford a special school for Cami until she was eighteen. If Chase didn't insist that Cami belonged in a special school, they wouldn't need financial help. Letting out a deep huff, Jeff raked his hand through his hair, instantly making his back hurt again. "We'll talk about this when I get home, okay?"

"No we won't." She was tired of backing down. She was tired of him promising that they would talk about the issue only to have him come home and act like there wasn't a problem. He would get home and be so swept up in Cami that the possibly of her needing help wouldn't even cross his mind. And God forbid she bring it up. "We never talk about anything. You get mad and tell me I'm over reacting. I back down and nothing changes. So I decided to do something about it."

All he could do was sigh. He was tired of fighting, he was tired of feeling like this was all there was ever going to be between them. "Whatever." This wasn't why he called. He called to talk to her about her day. He wanted to hear the sound of her voice. He missed her. He'd hoped that they'd flirt, or she'd tell him that she missed him. But for some reason now they were both upset. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow."

It was typical. Jeff would rather ignore the elephant standing there than to address it. There was no sense in arguing. "I hope your back feels better."

"Thanks. Give Cam a kiss for me and tell her I love her." The sound of her voice when she said that she would broke his heart. "I love you." He said it making sure that she understood that even though he was angry with her, it didn't change the way he felt.

"I love you, too." Hanging up the phone, Chase sat on the bed staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was doing the right thing, she was sure of it. But this tension between she and Jeff was killing her. They never had this stressful of a relationship before. And it wasn't always like this. It only got this bad after Cami's last operation. He couldn't handle it and from that point forward, he refused to accept that it was for Cami's best interest. He was acting with his heart, and Chase loved him for it. But he needed to understand that so was she. One day Jeff would understand and he'd look back on this time and realize that he wasn't being fair to Chase or Cami.

When, was the question.


	19. Chapter 19

"So? How was it?" Layla let her legs swing from the side of the ring as she leaned her arms against the ropes. If she hadn't known better she would have thought that Alli was trying to avoid her. She hadn't said anything to her all day. She would barely look at her. Layla couldn't help but to think that maybe Alli was still weirded out that she had bought the movie for her.

"I – I didn't watch it," Alli lied. The truth was she _did_ watch it. All of it. Even _after _getting caught by Chase. She stayed up until three in the morning, finally getting the courage to check that Chase was asleep before she dared to watch the rest. But she did watch it. And she enjoyed it. But that wasn't what was bothering her at the moment. Besides having to find a way to explain that Layla that she really liked the movie and not sound like some perverted freak, she had to concentrate on the papers in her hand.

Was Shane kidding? There was no way in the world she could do this. Put her in a ring against The Undertaker, Alli probably wouldn't have been nervous. But ask her to speak in front of a camera, she was about to have a heart attack. "I can't do this."

"It's just a promo. All you have to do is talk about yourself." Sliding her body under the bottom rope, Layla made her way over to Alli and peered at what she was looking at.

It was so much more than just a promo. Talking about her meant that Alli had to, well, _talk_…and with emotion, no less. She wasn't a dull, android, by any stretch of the imagination. But Allin Batista wasn't very "fun" or animated, either. She didn't giggle or skip around because of too much youthful energy, like Maddy. And she damn sure wasn't the merry ball of sunshine that Chase was. But she wasn't doom and gloom either. She had a smile that was reminiscent of her father's. It was the kind of smile that made her whole face smile with her. And she laughed. When something really tickled her, she would get this high pitched hiccupping sound that came from deep inside of her and she would laugh until her sides hurt. That was almost always followed by the cutest little snort ever heard by human ears. She had feelings and wants and dreams. She had opinions on right and wrong. She just didn't how to find her voice.

The _real _Alli never felt comfortable enough to be around other people. The _real_ Alli wasn't the type to brag. She honestly couldn't think of anything good to say about herself unless it involved her handicap on a golf course, or her point average in a basketball game. Who in the hell would be interested that? Who would be in interested in _anything_ about her for that matter?

Layla looked up from the papers in Alli's hand and captured her eyes. If she didn't know any better, Layla could have swore that those were tears brewing and not dripping sweat stinging her eyes. "You're a Diva. All you have to do is toss your hair, smile and be sexy. What you say really isn't important; not to them. They aren't watching you for that."

Be sexy? Right. And how exactly was Alli was supposed to do that? Britain had told her that sexy was in the eyes. Should she make her eyes bulge and do that Maria doe-eyed thing? No. She'd look scary. Alli wasn't a natural at tossing her hair like Maddy was. She was liable to break her neck trying. Her entire life she had been able to prove herself with her actions. When it came to her athletic prowess, there was no doubt in her mind that she was one of the best. But when it came to talking…she was ready to go home, tail tucked between her legs and do whatever her parents instructed her to. "I can't talk."

Alli let her eyes sweep over to the other guys sitting around the ring. They all had a gimmick, no matter how corny it was. They all had a persona that they were able to slip into without worrying about other people's reaction to it.

Shane seemed to be so pleased about how well the guys were doing. He nodded his head, holding the camcorder still while Derrick stood there and talked about the fact that he was _Myrtle Beach's Best Kept Secret_. It was no secret that Derrick was an asshole, that's for sure. But still, as soon as he finished boosting his already over inflated ego, it would be Alli's turn.

She didn't have a clue what to do.

"It's all about selling yourself. Here…" Layla reached out and pulled Alli's hair from it's ponytail before tossing it around her head. She then lifted her t-shirt up to expose her stomach. "I'm not gonna take it off. I know how touchy you are about that." Why was Alli so touchy? If Layla had abs like Alli's she'd be showing them off even more than she did now. Making sure the shirt stopped just under Alli's breasts, Layla tied the material in a knot behind her back. "Hmmm… pull these down."

Alli felt her cheeks flush. She was not going to stand in the middle of that ring in front of four people with her stomach showing. And now, Layla wanted her to pull her pants down, too? Was she crazy? She didn't have a body that looked like the Divas on television. There was no reason to humiliate herself more than she already was. But for some reason when she felt Layla tug on the mesh material of her shorts she didn't stop her.

"Now, that's what I'm talking 'bout!" Derrick's voice rang out from the center of the ring, causing Patrick and James to turn to look at her. "Take it _all _off."

Narrowing her eyes in Patrick's direction, Alli couldn't stop her mouth from opening. "Fuck you, prick." Her voice boomed through the gym and Alli wasn't quiet anymore. And as soon as she noticed how they were all looking at her in surprise, she lowered her eyes again. "I can't do this," She said quietly to Layla. It was bad enough that she had to talk about herself, but now it felt like her pants were going to fall down, since Layla had rolled the waistband down to rest on her hips, but now she was tugging on her panties.

"Yes, you can. And if you wore sexier underwear, it would be even better." Layla shook her head at the high waistband of Alli's panties. "We could give you a wedgie to make it sexier."

"But I wanna wrestle, not be sexy."

When would she learn? Alli would make it a lot further in this business if she just realized that things didn't work the way they did when Trish and Lita were in the locker-room. Gone were the days of women that actually knew how to wrestle. _This _is what this business was about. It wasn't about skill, it was about assets. "Vince doesn't give a shit if you can wrestle. Only if you can put asses in seats and make money doing photo shoots. For a woman, wrestling in this business is a bonus. It's about sex. That's what we're here for. You're up."

How could she come across as sexy when she didn't feel it? How was she supposed to know what turned guys on, when she wasn't really turned on by them? How was she supposed to be what every woman aspired to be when she was the one that usually watched them in awe? All she had to do was say five lines. But it may as well been a one woman Shakespearean play as far as Alli was concerned.

She took her place on the blocking mark that had been drawn in tape on the mat and stood with her legs crossed at the ankle and her hands drawn up in front of her chest. Never letting her eyes leave her fingernails as she nervously picked at them, Alli began to mumble her way through her lines. "Look at me. I'm the best of both worlds. Second generation Superstar, first generation Diva. There's not a woman that can hold a candle to me and not a man that can resist me…"

"Wait! Hold it!" Layla climbed onto the ring and marched by Shane. If he wasn't going to put an end to this torture, she sure as hell was. "What in the bloody hell was that? I have no idea what you said because I couldn't hear you and I was standing right there…And who's gonna believe that _you_ believe what you were saying if you won't even make eye contact?" Layla pulled Alli's arms from in front of her chest and forced her to leave them by her sides. "Stand up straight." Layla's hand on the small of Alli's back, as she forced her into position, received a cat call from the onlookers. "Chest out and lean your weight on you hip, like this."

Alli watched as Layla took the stance of a confident woman. She was only five foot two, but when Layla posed, she looked like she was twenty feet tall….like she belonged. Alli couldn't help but to smile at the way Layla did for the camera and the come hither eyes that she gave in Shane's direction. "Try something like this."

"I can't do that." Was Alli actually laughing? Suddenly it wasn't so intimidating anymore. She didn't really think about the guys watching them, only that Layla was performing and that she mistakenly thought that Alli could, too.

"Yes you can." Layla never let the forced smile leave her face, or turn her head from Shane's camera. "Now say, 'I'm sexy'." She tossed her hair widely as she spoke.

Alli found herself in full on giggles at the thought. There was nothing natural about that for her. "Um, no."

"We don't really give a fuck what you say. Just get naked, already." Derrick laughed with James watching Alli make a fool out of herself. "You don't have what it takes, Batista. That?" He pointed to Layla, "Is sexy. That is what a _woman_ looks like. But you wouldn't know about that because it's not that something you can get from _daddy's _name."

The laughter stopped and suddenly Alli saw red. She didn't remember that Shane was filming her, or that Layla was standing there. All she thought at moment was that she wanted to beat Derrick's ass. "Are you mad because you know that I can whip your ass in this ring on your best day? Or is it because I'm more woman than you will ever get? You can't handle me and that kills you. Doesn't it?" Suddenly feeling her anger on the verge of tears, Alli stormed out of the ring and headed toward the locker-room.

That was it! That was her motivation. That was the sexiest thing Layla had ever seen Alli do. That look in her eyes, that absence of that whispered uncertainty in her voice…_that's _what would get her over. She looked at Shane and knew that he saw it, too. Alli didn't have to be a sex symbol; she just needed to let her guard down.

And now that they had found what it took, the question was how to keep it there?

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Another fucking hotel room. Sure it was quiet, but after being home for a few days quiet was the last thing he wanted. He missed the sounds of the babies crying and cooing. He missed the sounds of Britain singing to them through the monitors. Hell, he even missed her yelling at him for not taking out the garbage. To any normal man, getting time away to escape life at home with five children, two of which were infants, a quiet hotel room would sound like heaven. To Dave Batista, it sounded like anything but.

It was one of those things that he didn't talk about with his friends. But everyone of them was in a relationship. Did being gone effect them the same way? John was about to get married. He and X argued all the time, but did he miss it when he was on the road? Randy and Maddy – he wasn't going to think about them. Besides the fact that he didn't like it, Maddy wasn't at home. Even if Randy was, their situation was different. Hunter and Stephanie, she didn't travel with him anymore because of their kids, but did he miss it? If so, he never said anything. And Jeff…he was away from his pride and joy. Dave knew he loved Chase, but anybody could see how in love with his baby girl he was. Did he feel like crying whenever he had go to the airport?

Maybe Britain was right. Maybe Dave was old and getting sentimental as the years progressed. He hadn't had this much of a problem leaving home when his girls were little. Maybe because he knew he had to do what he had to do to make sure they had everything they needed. When Chase and Maddy were small, Emily worked and he stayed at home with them. He was the one that took them both to their first day of Kindergarten. He was the one that went on field trips. It was hard and they were broke, but at least he had time with his girls.

By the time Alli was born, he knew that one salary couldn't support three kids. He had a goal, to make it better for his children and leaving to work was the right thing to do. He would miss all of Alli's milestones, but he would make up for it when he could afford to buy her the things that she needed. He would put them all in the best private schools and make enough money to send them to college. The ends justified the means. It was still the same principle, so why did it feel like he was abandoning his sons?

He didn't feel guilty when Alli favored Emily when she was a baby. But he did when his boys cried for Britain. No matter what he seemed to do, they would both have a fit when she walked out of the room as if to tell him that he wasn't what they wanted. And that apprehension on their faces, when he came home from weeks on the road was enough to kill him. Those children had no idea who he was. A few days here and there ever couple of weeks, didn't make him their daddy.

And then there was Britain. There used to be a time when he knew what was going on in her life. How could he not know that she was talking to her agent again? How come he didn't know that she was seriously thinking about going back to work? She had never been the type to say something and not do it before, so why didn't he think that she wouldn't go through with it? Why would he put her through that? He had already been the absentee spouse for one wife and he never wanted her to know what that felt like.

Dave and Britain had always had a relationship where they talked about everything. Now, it seemed like he was only home long enough to talk about the kids. And even then it was her telling him what decisions she had made or the things he had done with them. He had never felt like more of an outsider than listening to his wife tell him that she had signed them up for Mommy and Me classes at Gymboree, or that she was switching their pediatrician. But what did he expect? He wasn't there long enough to make any important decisions about them with her. He wasn't even home long enough to know their routine was. Besides getting a bath after breakfast he had no idea what things they did day to day, until Britain would corral them from him to go off and do whatever it was it they normally did.

Even putting the kids aside what was happening with their relationship? That passion and romance that they once had, seemed to be slipping away from him. It wasn't like she could join him on the road anymore because of her responsibilities at home. Just like he couldn't just pop in for a day to surprise her and do nothing more but spend the day in bed with her. Their life didn't work like that anymore.

She didn't complain, though. It was the nature of their relationship that they not be in the same place at the same time and she knew that. But was it enough for her? He wasn't sure it was enough for him anymore. He was almost forty-four years old, with five kids and two failed marriages. How much more was this marriage supposed to go through before it ended, too? Lord knows he hadn't gotten them off to the best start. When it was finally going to get to be too much for her to handle?

It would all be so simple if he could just quit his job and go home. At least then he could put is all into making sure that his family knew that they were his first priority. He could use that time to rekindle the relationship with his wife, bond with his sons, try to repair what damage he'd done to his daughters over the years. And if it all blew up in his face, at least he could say he tried.

But he couldn't do that. They couldn't afford it. His girls had gotten use to the life that he provided for them. Finally, he was able to give them everything they not only needed but what they wanted, too. And why should his sons not be treated the same way? Why should Britain have to go into the money that she had worked so many years to save and invest because he was tired and homesick?

It wasn't fair to any of them, but he had to do something. This teetering between what he wanted to do, what he should do and what he felt like he had to do was killing him.

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That was pain like she had never known it before. And Layla called herself her friend. What in the hell had Alli been thinking ever trusting her in the first place? She knew it was a bad idea from the word go, but Layla promised to make her look like a Diva. It was part of the act, the costume. Alli could prove it in the ring, now she just had to look the part.

Getting her eyebrows plucked had been bad enough. Who in the hell lets someone literally pull their eyebrows out of their head one by one? She was sure that it couldn't get any worse than that. But that was until she had her first Brazilian wax. It took some major convincing on Layla's part, including a large Jim Dandy sundae before Alli would even step foot into the room. And once she was in there she swore that she was never going to speak to Layla again. Being a Diva was too painful. Getting the wind knocked out of her doing body slams with Patrick hadn't hurt as badly as the wax did.

Even though she complained the whole ride back from Raleigh to Cameron, Alli had to admit that she actually had fun with Layla. She could have done without the hair removal and the subsequent facial, but watching how excited Layla was while shopping, knowing damn well that she could never pull off the outfits that she was suggesting was entertaining. Layla's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when they walked into Victoria's Secret and even more so when they stumbled into Fredrick's of Hollywood. Alli couldn't burst her bubble and really, there was no point in trying. Layla had her mind made up, she was going to turn Alli into a Diva if it killed her…or Alli; it didn't really seem to matter to Layla.

And now she sat on Shannon's couch watching Layla rummage through the bags with such a pleased look on her face. She had to admit, she was somewhat flattered that Layla had that much confidence in her. The items she forced her buy were pretty, but just not for her. Alli was convinced that _Layla_ would great in them, but she would look like an imposter. "Why do I have to wear lingerie to wrestle?"

"You don't. Well, not all the time, but it's about making you look and feel the part." Layla held up a black stilettos at Alli and smiled. "Put these on. I'm going to show you how to walk."

Looking at the shoes Alli's face instantly scrunched. Why did she have to learn how to walk in heels? Wrestlers wore boots, not three inch heels. She was already five foot nine. She would be a full six feet tall with those shoes on. As if she needed another reason to look like a freak. "What's wrong with my walk now?"

"Nothing if you're getting ready for a pick up game in the school yard." Layla stretched out both hands out to Alli to hoist her off of the couch. She wasn't giving her a chance to back down. Especially not since Layla was having so much fun playing dress up. Alli was like a life sized doll. A really tall, incredibly defiant doll, that whined and questioned everything, but a doll nonetheless. "Your walk is fine. But in this business you've got to exaggerate everything."

Without further protest, Alli slipped the shoes on and closed her eyes at the feeling of her toes being squished. All of her weight rested on the balls of her feet and she instantly felt dizzy. "I can't walk in these."

"The first thing you need to do is stand up straight." Placing one hand on Alli's stomach and the other on the small of her back, Layla righted her into position. She could feel her abs through her t-shirt. She let her hand linger for moment before removing it to pluck Alli in the chin. "Put your head up. Now. Do your feet feel different? Try resting your weight on your heels."

Alli tried to shift her weight and grabbed onto Layla for support. "I'm gonna fall." Could she just do one thing that was cool? Did she always have to stick out and be a total geek in front of probably the most feminine woman in the world next to Britain?

"No, you're not. I've got you." Layla moved behind Alli and placed both of her hands on her hips to keep her balance. "Now walk. One foot in front of the other and swing your hips."

And she did. Alli looked like she was going to pop her hip out of joint she swung them so hard. Then she did this strange motion with her knees and her neck moved with each step she took. She looked like a giraffe. Layla couldn't help but to laugh at her. "I can't do this. I look stupid."

"No, you don't. You're doing great." Moving to stand in front of her, Layla let her hands remain on Alli's hips to help her keep her balance. She nodded her head when Alli stood up straight. "That's the problem. Your posture is all off. You stand like you're getting in position to swing a bat. Straighten up a bit. Tilt your shoulders back. And for God's sake, don't shuffle your feet."

With a slump of her shoulders, Alli let out an exhausted breath. Why didn't this come to her naturally? Her sisters most certainly didn't walk like Quasimodo, why did she? "This is too complicated. I'm never going get this."

"You've got the hard part down. You're beautiful and it's not store bought kind. All we've got to do now is fine tune it."

Alli pushed Layla's hands from off of her and folded her arms across her chest. She wasn't the type to pout or complain. Nor was she the type that would ever admit her shortcomings out loud. But it was something about Layla that made her feel safe. She tried to convince herself that it was because she was already in the business; she knew what it took to make it. Even if she was trained by the best wrestlers in the world, she still needed someone to show her how to be a sex symbol. Why not Layla?

And though it sounded like a reasonable enough justification, Alli knew that there was much more to it. "I'm not all girlie and prissy like you are. I think the girl gene got lost on me."

"You're not a boy. You're not even remotely masculine." Picking up Alli's hand in hers, she pulled the young woman over to the full length mirror. "Look at yourself, Alli. You are a beautiful woman. You have the sexy part down. Guys already love you. All you need to work on now is how exaggerate your look."

Sexy? Was she kidding? What was sexy about her jeans and Yankees t-shirt? Where was the sex symbol hidden underneath of her baseball cap? There wasn't anything sexy about her, not that she could see. "Are you kidding me? I've never had a date. Guys think girls like _you_ are sexy."

"That's not true. I happen to know on good authority that a few guys are already scoping you out." Raising her eyes and smiling Layla walked back over to the couch. She had been dying to tell Alli for a few weeks, but she had been sworn to secrecy. She could break her word, just this once, restore Alli's confidence and maybe get Alli a date out of the deal, all at once.

Alli turned her head in Layla's direction and waited patiently for her to say something. But when the TV came on instead, she shed the dreadful heels and walked over to the couch. "Who?"

"You can't tell him I told you, but Derrick has a thing for you." Folding her short legs under her body, Layla turned with a huge smile on her face. "I know he's an ass, but he's kinda cute. Besides, I was snooping around in Shannon's office and I heard Derrick and Patrick talking. Patrick said he was going to ask you out and Derrick got all in a huff and said that everyone knew that he was checking you out. He even said that you were feeling him, too."

Alli's face broke down in mortification. Of the three guys they trained with Derrick was the last one she would ever look at. He was a pig. He was rude, obnoxious and he had this cowlick that she couldn't stand. "He's such a liar! I have never checked him out."

"That's not the important part. You've got two guys both wanting to ask you out. And I'll tell you something else, but you have to swear not to repeat it." She watched as Alli nodded then she lowered her voice as if someone else was in the room with them. "Shannon thinks you're pretty hot, too."

What? Where did that come from? "But I thought…"

God, if Layla had to explain the dynamic of her relationship with Shannon to one more person, she was going to scream. No one understood it, but they did. It worked for them. "Shannon and I are friends… with benefits. I like him well enough and he likes me, but we're not _together_. We have fun. But we date other people. We can _see_ other people." Raising her brows to further Alli's understand she continued with her explanation, "It was that night that we were at the bar. All night he kept going on and on about how hot you were. So I asked him."

"But he hates me." Shannon Moore was cute. He was none threatening, that's for sure, especially with those fat cheeks and those eyes. But though she found him attractive she felt absolutely nothing toward him. Shouldn't she at least be somewhat attracted to him, or to any guy for that matter? "And he's dating you."

"He doesn't hate you. At least not by the way he talked about you. He and I had a long conversation about you that night. I agreed with him. You _are_ hot. I'd do you. And that's a good thing because I'm picky." Layla stood up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen. "You want a soda?"

Layla watched as Alli nodded and made her way to the refrigerator. Pulling out two Diet Cokes, she sat them on the counter as she got glasses and ice. It was now or never and she figured she might as well say something while Alli sat in the other room, so she wouldn't have to look at her. "I think Shannon's crush is cute. I'm telling you, they all want you. Hell, even _I_ have a crush on you. I told Shannon if he gave me permission to make a move on you, I'd give him permission to try, too. Of course he said that I had an unfair advantage because we're already friends and we hang out. But I told him that the advantage was all his because you're probably not even into girls." Layla took her time filling the glasses with ice hoping that Alli absorbed what she was saying. She dared to turn around to look into the living room and noticed that Alli was still facing the television.

Maybe she hadn't heard her. Maybe Alli didn't understand what she was trying to say. Or maybe she did. At least Alli hadn't gone running from the living room, slamming the door behind her. That meant that Layla hadn't scared the poor girl off completely.

That was a good sign.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Anybody home?" Dropping her bag by the front door, Maddy looked around the familiar living room. The house was always so warm and inviting. It always felt like she belonged, even more so since she knew that her father wasn't there. There was no place like home, especially since at home she didn't have to listen to her sorority sisters and their boyfriends go at it while she was trying to argue on the phone with Randy. At home, she didn't have to pretend to study. At home she didn't have to meet with her Academic Advisor, _again._

Britain rounded the corner from the family room with a boy in both arms and smiled brightly at the dark haired girl standing in the living room. "Madison Avenue. What are you doing here?"

"Oh my goodness. Look at those little faces!" She quickly walked around the couch to take Mikey from Britain's arms. She hadn't been home in two months and her brothers had grown so much in that time. Hugging the baby to her body, she smile and leaned over to kiss his twin. "I feel like I haven't seen them in forever. They're so big now."

Britain smiled noticing how Maddy avoided the question. Not that she wasn't glad that Maddy was home, but she didn't fool Britain for a minute. She had trained the girl in the art of manipulation. But little did Maddy understand the art it only worked on men. "Yeah. They are getting big." She looked around the couch and noticed that Maddy had two bags with her, proving that this was not an overnight visit. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"I wanted to come home. The wedding is in two weeks…I thought you could use some help." Maddy sat on the couch with her brother on her lap, and turned the baby around to look at him. She bounced Mikey and cooed at him, but she could still feel those pale grey eyes looking at her.

"What about your finals?" The summer semester was broken up into three four week cycles. The first cycle still had a week to go before it was over. Maddy should have had two finals to take, one for each class that she and Dave were paying for the first cycle.

Maddy lifted Mikey high above her head and laughed when he did. "He's so heavy. Are they eating table food yet?"

Britain shook her head and carried DJ over to the couch beside his brother and sister. "Not yet." She traded babies with Maddy placed the teething ring in Mikey's hand, while Maddy proceeded to smoother DJ in kisses. "Randy's coming home tonight, right? Are you going over there?"

Maddy shrugged. Who in the hell knew what was going on with Randy. "He's not really talking to me." And she wasn't going to tell Britain why. The last thing she needed was for her father to find out.

"So, you're not here to spend a few days with Randy. You came home a week early from school with enough bags to stay until _after _the wedding..." Britain didn't even need to say it out loud. The guilt was already written on Maddy's face. First Alli, now this one. When were she and Dave going to catch a break? "Maddy…"

"It's not my fault. I didn't want to take summer classes anyway. I had a hard enough time concentrating during the semester. Why did they think it would get better during the summer?" She dared to look over at her stepmother and frowned. " Britain it's just two classes. I'll take them over."

"You are already on academic probation. You just can't drop classes and take them over."

"I don't really have a choice." Maddy mumbled hoping that Britain didn't hear her.

"You failed them?"

With a huff, Maddy nodded. She hated how Britain could always get information out of her. She didn't come home to answer a lot of questions, but she couldn't lie…not to her. "Even if I pass my finals, I failed the classes. I've missed too many of them." She noticed the look on Britain's face and instantly jumped to the defensive. "It's not my fault. How can they expect anyone to get up at eight in the morning, _everyday_, during the summer to sit in a two hour class. It's the summer!"

There wasn't anything she could say. She really couldn't think of the words at the time. Dave was going to have a fit. Not even a fit, a mental meltdown. How many times was she going to have to be the barrier between Dave and his daughters? Did they know how overbearing he was? They had to. "I've got to put these guys to bed…you wanna talk?" When Maddy shook her head, Britain nodded.

"I think I'm gonna go over to Randy's." Maddy handed her brother over and stood. "I'll see you later." She couldn't talk to Britain, not right now. More than likely Randy wouldn't talk to her, either.

And just that quickly the warmth of being at home, suddenly seemed just as lonely as school.


	20. Chapter 20

John looked up from the table and smiled across around his cup of coffee. He looked at his bare wrist as if he was checking his watch, smiled again then lifted his car magazine to his eyes. He knew it was only a matter of time before she said something.

Ave wasn't going to fall for it. The game was officially on, and she knew that she would win. Every Saturday they'd played the 'quiet' game. It was a simple game with simple rules: don't be the first to talk. And just every other Saturday John would lose. He couldn't help but to talk. He was just a motor mouth like.

John raised one brow in challenge as he watched the short blonde walk to the sink. She was adorable with her hair all over her head and her Pink Panther pajamas on. The shaggy white slippers didn't really match her get up, but it made her look like a kid. That was one of the things he loved about her. She wasn't thirteen going on thirty, she was thirteen…that's it. Ave seemed as content being a child as he was content having a child in his home.

Without saying anything she pulled two bowls from the cabinet and held one up to him. She rested her weight on her left hip, looking just like her mother, and stared poignantly. When he nodded she proceeded to fill each bowl with Lucky Charms before going over to the fridge for milk. Once the cereal bowls had been filled she carried the larger of the two over to the table and sat it before John.

He wasn't going to say thank you. He couldn't. The rules of the game forbade it. Instead he nodded his head in appreciation and took the spoon from out of his coffee cup. Putting the entire spoon in his mouth, to lick it clean, John dunked it in his cereal. The action received a scoff and a disappointed look from Ave.

With her own bowl in her hand she made her way to the table and dropped a clean spoon in front of her opponent, before rolling her eyes. He could be so gross at times and that whole licking the spoon to clean it thing was just disgusting. Her expression quickly changed however, when he produced the newest Seventeen magazine from a bag on the table.

He couldn't stop smiling at the fact that she almost spoke. Not only did her eyes get big as saucers, but her mouth dropped open when she read the cover and noticed that there was a full article on Justin Timberlake inside. He was sure that good old JT would get her to break the silence first. But he didn't. That meant that John had to take matters into his own hands. He watched for a moment as Ave took a dainty spoon full of her cereal and chewed with her mouth closed. He on the other hand damn near hugged his bowl as he bent over it and shoveled the sweet breakfast food into his mouth. And when her hand contacted with his shoulder, and the milk dripped down his chin, he couldn't help but to laugh.

Then she started to giggle. Giggling was allowed, talking wasn't. But if he didn't stop smacking on the Lucky Charms like that Ave was going to have to say something to get him to shut up. When she felt John nudge her shoulder with his own she looked at him with wide eyes and tried to tell him to leave her alone with her stare.

His actions hadn't gone unpunished. Ave countered his push with a wet Willie to his ear. That was enough for him to put her in a headlock, which was more torturous than normal seeing as how he had just finished working out and hadn't showered yet. But he'd be damned that she still hadn't said anything. But judging from her laughter, it would only be a matter of time.

There was nothing like the sound of Ave laughing. It reminded her so much of Miklo. It was that kind of laugh that came from somewhere deep inside and was almost was coupled with the stomach holding and tears of happiness. Making her way down the stairs X found herself smiling at the sound of it. And at the sound of a familiar manly chuckle that soon followed. As she made her way to the kitchen she stopped short just before the entrance to get a good look at the two of them. John had Ave in a head lock and her little girl was pushing him off with all of her might. She had to admit, she loved the fact that they bonded so well. But could she accept that Ave thought of John as her father? Would he ever grow up enough to prove that he could fill those shoes? Would she ever be able to let Miklo go enough to try?

She didn't want to think about that. Not today anyway. Today was the day that they she and John were going for their blood tests and marriage license. Today was the day that she signed on a piece of paper that she in fact did want to marry him. Today was the day that was going to change _her _life forever. She just wasn't sure that she wanted to change Ave's yet. "What are you two doing?" X put on her brave face as she entered the room noticing how John quickly released his hold on Ave.

"Nothing."

Ave clapped her hands and bounced around in her chair. "Ha! Ha! I won! Pay up." She held her hand out toward John, as he cursed silently. "I'm going to be rich in a few more months." She watched as John held the dollar over her hand and then pulled it back.

"But that don't really count, though. I wasn't talkin' to you. I was talkin' to your moms." Reaching over into Ave's bowl, John used his fingers to take out a purple horseshoe and popped it in his mouth.

Ave slapped his hand before reaching over to snatch the dollar from him. "The rules are, you can't talk…to _anyone._" Looking up at her mother Ave noticed the way she was staring at them. "What's wrong, Mami?"

"Nothing. I was just watching you guys." There were so many things wrong, but she didn't think Ave would understand. She wanted to talk to John about them, but he wouldn't get it either. He was just as crazy about that kid as she was about him. "I'm fine."

Rounding the table and taking his bowl to the sink John put his arms around Christina's waist. "Your moms is all swelled up with love for me. All up in here." He moved his hand in front of X's chest, making sure not to touch her, when all he really wanted to do was to feel her up. But Ave didn't need to see that. Had she not have been at the table, he probably would have.

"Yeah, right." X said flatly before breaking out in a wide smile when he started to whisper in her ear. He was a fool but she loved him. She couldn't help but to. And watching Ave watch them, she knew that he was a good guy that would treat them both like they deserved.

Nodding her head in approval, Ave brought her bowl to the sink and grabbed onto John's arm before resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "So after we sign this marriage stuff, can we sign my papers, too?"

John froze on the spot. He hadn't planned on saying anything to X until the wedding day, right _after_ they were pronounced man and wife. At least that way she wouldn't storm out of the church and call the whole thing off. "Uh…Shortie. Um…"

"What papers?" X turned around to see John's brow brought together in heavy concentration.

And that quickly Ave's blue eyes clouded with tears. How could he not have told her? For weeks he had been promising her that he would ask her mother for permission to adopt her. Had he changed his mind? "You didn't tell her? But you said you wanted to adopt me."

And as quickly as Ave turned to tears, X turned angry. "Adopt you? What?"

"Shit." This wasn't how he envisioned the conversation, but it was definitely the reaction he was expecting. He hadn't even gotten her to sign the marriage license and already the prospect of no wedding was staring him in the face. "Look Ma, we was gonna talk to you."

There was nothing that they could say to her. Not right now. Holding her hand up to stop him from saying anything else, X shook her head and walked out of the room.

* * *

Alli let her hands drop by her sides and she shook her fingers to get the circulation flowing. Bending her left leg at the knee so that he foot touched her back side, she applied pressure on the leg, by grabbing it with her left hand. She then proceeded to do the same with the right. She jumped up and down in place to get her body warmed up, and then she started out. One foot in front of the other. Slowly at first, picking up speed with each time her foot came down.

This is what she needed. There was nothing like a nice long run to clear her head, especially since it had been swimming since the day before. What did Layla mean that she had a crush on her? Was she just saying that so she wouldn't feel as pathetic as she had been while trying to walk in heels? Was Layla making fun of her because she caught her looking at her when she thought that she wasn't?

How could Layla have a crush on her? She was into guys. Friends with benefits or not, she was dating Shannon Moore. They maybe have had a relationship that allowed them to see other people, but Shannon was a definitely a man. And Alli definitely wasn't. Layla had made no indication that she liked anything but. In fact, all she talked about were guys. Not once had Alli heard her ever mentioning liking a girl in real life.

But then again, she did say that she watched lesbian porn. And she had said that girls were hot. But all girls said that, didn't they? She could vividly remember Britain and Maddy looking at fashion magazines commenting on the models. Britain would tell Maddy all of the secrets, like which girls had fake boobs to the ones with the best asses. That's what women did. They noticed things about other women, but that didn't mean that they were _into_ them.

Alli wasn't even sure that she was into women. She knew that she had crushed out on her friend Nicole and that she thought that Layla the sexiest woman she had ever seen. But what did that mean? Did that mean that she wanted to sleep with Layla? She hadn't even been sure that she wanted to sleep with Nicole. What she wanted with Nicole was more innocent than that. She wanted to kiss her and hold her and feel her skin. Not necessarily sex, though she wasn't sure that she would have been opposed to that.

But with Layla? She couldn't even describe what that felt like. She knew for sure that she wanted to know what it was like to finally have someone think she was sexy. She wanted Layla to look at her the way she looked at her. She wanted to dig her fingers in her dark curls and pull her head back so that she could look into her chocolate eyes. Alli wanted to press her lips against Layla's and suck in the breath that she was destined to release at the contact.

But did she want more? She hadn't thought about it before.

Layla had told her that a couple of the guys had a crush on her. Patrick was a definite no, and James wasn't her type. Not that she had a type. But if she did, James wouldn't be it. That only left Shannon. He was nice enough, sometimes. And he was really cute. His cheeks were so cubby and Alli loved the way his tattoos wrapped around his neck. But was that enough? Just thinking that a boy was cute, did that mean that she was supposed to like him? Seeing Shannon didn't cause her heart to speed up, not like seeing Layla did. It was all too confusing. Alli wasn't sure if she liked girls or not, but she _was_ fairly certain that she really wasn't feeling the boys.

Rounding the corner, she felt the pressure in her legs as the hill started to steepen. Alli jogged two miles everyday, but today she felt the need to push herself. She had to keep running until she figured out everything that was in her head. She didn't care about the slight pull she felt in her calf, or the fact that at ten in the morning it was already ninety degrees. She had run in hotter weather than this at home.

As she felt her breathing change, forcing her way up the hill, she had another thought. What was she supposed to say to Layla when she saw her now? She had successful brushed off the comment the night before, but she knew that she couldn't avoid it forever. Eventually it would eat her up inside. Not because she was desperate for something to happen between them, but because she had to know if Layla was serious or not. And what if she was? What then? What about Shannon?

Surely her mother would accept her being with someone like Shannon, even if he was older and worked with her father. She would never accept Layla. Her father wouldn't accept either one, but Alli really didn't give a shit about that.

As soon as she reached the top of the hill, she let her eyes land on Layla's small body, nodding when Layla fell into step and trotted along side her. "Hey." She panted out trying to force her smaller legs to keep up with Alli's stride.

"Hey." Alli answered back, taking her wristband to wipe the sweat from her brow. "What are you doing out here? You don't jog."

Layla shrugged trying to figure out why in the hell she was out there. She hated to exercise, but she did it. Though she usually did the elliptical machines or ran on a tread mill, she decided that today she would spice it up a little bit and actually run outside. But more than that, she really wanted to talk to Alli. "I wanted to talk to you."

" 'bout what?" Alli asked making sure to keep her eyes directly in front of her. It was a good thing her face was already flushed from running otherwise she was sure that she would have started blushing. And she wasn't blushing from embarrassment; it was more because Layla had gotten up this early to track her down just to talk to her.

Layla had rehearsed the conversation all night. She was going to apologize for springing everything on Alli the way she had done. And she would do it. Just not while jogging. She was fairly certain that she couldn't run and make a sentence at the same time, not without passing out from lack of oxygen. "Last night."

Briefly turning her head to the side, Alli pulled at the hair in her ponytail that clung to her face with sweat. Layla was looking directly at her. She didn't want to look in Layla's eyes, mainly because she didn't want to hear that it was a joke, or worse, that Layla had made a mistake. "What about last night?" Even if she was confused, Alli liked the fact that someone liked her. It made her feel like less of a freak.

Layla reached her hand out and touched Alli's arm to stop her. As soon as felt Alli come to a halt, Layla too stopped and tried to catch her breath. Placing her hands on her knees, she bent at the waist and tried to drag catch her breath. "Look…" she raised her head from her bent position and squinted at the sunlight filling her eyes. "I think a really nice girl, and I like hanging out with you…" Layla stopped herself in mid sentence. She didn't want this to sound like a breakup speech. It was quite the contrary. "What I meant was I don't want you to think that I'm only friends with you because I wanna hook up with you. It's not like that at all. When I told you…"

"I know." Alli lied. She didn't know. She really should still be jogging so she would have had a reason for her bright red cheeks. "You were just kidding." Digging her toe into the gravel on the path, Alli lowered her eyes. "It's not big deal."

Layla reached her hand out and touched Alli's forcing the taller woman to look at her. "Are we good?" When Alli nodded, Layla smiled. "Oh and for the record, I wasn't kidding." Turning on her heel, Layla started to jog up the hill, leaving Alli standing there more confused than she was before.

* * *

Rolling over in the bed, Randy let his arm slip around the body that laid beside him. Without thought, he found his nose buried in chestnut hair and he breathed in a sweet smell. He didn't let his eyes open when he felt a hand trail his arm. Instead he sighed and pulled her closer to his body. "You never explained why you're here?"

Maddy rolled over in his arms and gently placed her hand on cheek. She always loved this view of Randy best. He looked so calm and the smirk that tickled his lips at the feeling of her fingertips trailing down his neck was enough to make her press her lips to his. "I just wanted to spend some time with you." She watched as Randy nodded his head. "I know I've been screwing up lately, and I'm sorry. It's just…it's not like I thought it would be, ya know? I thought being away at school was going to be so great and I was finally gonna figure out who I am. All I've managed to do is make a mess of things."

"I think you've got too much going on." Randy settled when Maddy propped her chin on his chest. He opened his eyes to stare into her warm brown eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind her head. "It's like since you pledged the Gammas have taken all your time. You don't have time to study. You don't have time for me…"

Placing her finger against his lips, she shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight with him about her sorority. She knew he hated them, but they were her friends. Her extended family, if you will. While she was at school the Gammas were the only ones that understood her, had the same interests in her. They thought she was smart. And she was finally popular on campus, without having to sleep with half of every frat there to do so. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the attention that being a Gamma gave her and she wasn't exactly ready to give that up yet. "I always have time for you."

There was so much that he wanted to say to her, but he found it difficult with her lips on his and her hand trailing down his abs. Even though they had just finished, she appeared to be ready again. An overwhelming feeling of sadness came over him at the realization that this is what it had come to. Sex was the way they solved all of their problems.

Whenever he and Maddy had a fight, she made it up to him with sex. Whenever they were in the middle of an important conversation and he said something that she didn't want to hear, her clothes always seemed to come off. With them, nothing ever got resolved. Forgotten was more like it. Topics were often lost in an orgasmic state and then all was right with the world. That was until the next time.

But he had to admit that he missed Maddy. He loved it when it just the two of them and she wasn't acting like a Girls Gone Wild reject. He wanted to be close to her, and part of him really wanted them to get back what they used to have like actual conversations and sex that wasn't just to appease.

They would have the "talk", but not right now. Right now, he was going to enjoy his girlfriend and figure out for himself if they really had anything left between them besides this.


	21. Chapter 21

Jeff turned his head from the wall toward the noise coming from his side. Looking down at his right, he saw the blonde hair of his baby girl right beside him. Cami was standing at the toilet next to her father, holding her navel in her hand, much like he was. "What are you doing?" Shaking quickly, Jeff stuffed himself back in his shorts and stared at Cami confusion. "Chase!"

"What?" Chase walked into the bathroom and laughed upon seeing them. Cami's Pull-up was still firmly pulled up on her waist, but she was still holding her bellybutton, and leaning into the toilet the same way Jeff did. Touching her hand to the top of Cami's head, she noticed the toothy grin the little girl gave her when she pointed in the toilet and clapped her hands. "Daddy went pee-pee." Chase signed with a smile. "Yea, Daddy." She clapped her hands along with Cami to praise Jeff.

He was confused beyond all measure. He had been going to the bathroom for thirty-four years and never before could he remember anyone making such a show out of it. "What are y'all doing?"

"We've been working on potty training. She's going potty with you."

Leaning against the sink, he looked down at his daughter who was now making guttural noises as she happily pulled on the handle. "But, she can't pee standing up."

"She doesn't know that. She usually tries to go when I go. I guess she's going with you, too." Taking her daughter by the hand, Chase led Cami to the potty and pulled down her Pull-up, so that she could sit down. Once Cami was seated, Chase handed her a pop-up book and then turned to Jeff. "You need to sit on the toilet until she's ready to get up. She's got to get used to seeing us go to the bathroom, so she can imitate it." At least that's what her mother had done to them when they were little.

"But I don't have to go." This was by far the stupidest thing he had ever heard. Wouldn't Cami just one day know that she had to go and carry herself to the bathroom? That's what he did when he was little, wasn't it? To his recollection he never sat in the bathroom with his parents or Matt and watched them pee before he got the hang of it. "How long do I have to sit here?"

"A few minutes or until she goes. She doesn't like to be on there too long. And if she does go, make sure to clap and make a big deal out of it." Kissing Jeff on the side of the head, Chase waved to Cami. "I've gotta go to class. I'll see you guys later."

Jeff nodded at Chase and then turned his attention to Cami, who seemed more interested in feeling the textured pages of her book than actually trying to go to the bathroom. Maybe if he turned on the facet, seeing the water would make her go. Or better yet, he could put her hand in warm water to get it started. Matt used to do that to him all the time when they were teenagers. It would never fail. If they were had friends over the house and Jeff fell asleep first, he would always wake up in the morning in a wet bed. It wasn't until they were much older did Matt explain that's how he made Jeff pee himself at night.

Seeing as how this could take forever, Jeff grabbed a magazine from the basket on the floor, pulled down the lid on the toilet and took a seat. He flipped through the pages dog-earring the styles that he was interested in when he Cami making an 'oooooh' sound. When he looked up, he saw his daughter standing and pointing at the potty. "Ooooh." She repeated and leaned down as if she were going to stick her hand inside.

Hurrying over to her side, Jeff opened his eyes in surprise. Sure enough, Chase was right. Cami went potty. It was the first time that he had ever known her do something more with the pot than drag it around and use it as a step stool for the sink, or a chair for Scraps. "Yea! You did it!" Jeff bent to his knees and turned Cami around to face him, and to stop her from sticking her hand in it.

He could feel his face break into a smile when Cami wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged him. He hated to break the embrace, but if he didn't soon, Cami would be back over there trying to touch the contents. Jeff leaned back on his legs and clapped his hands in her line of vision.

"Oooooh!" Cami exclaimed as she watched her father dump and rinse the potty, before putting it back under the seat for the next time she had to go.

Jeff picked Cami up from the floor, kissing her chubby cheek and taking her down the stairs. Even if they would be leaving for the zoo as soon as he had his clothes on, and she would have plenty of treats there - probably more than a child of almost two should have, this called for a celebration.

He laughed at that snorty giggle of hers and he carried her over to the cookie jaw. He held on tight as he gave the honor of picking out which cookie, and how many she wanted.

"Hello?" He answered the phone as the soon as he passed it hanging on the kitchen wall. Placing Cami on the floor, he watched as she ran into the living room and pushed the button on the remote to turn it on. "This is Mr. Hardy." Watching Cami from the kitchen door, he cradled the phone against his ear. He could feel himself cringe at the gooey residue that her handprint made when she touched the table and the couch. They would never leave for the zoo if she kept touching things; he'd be too busy cleaning. "I'm sorry? What?"

What in the hell was this woman talking about? What application? Chase mentioned in passing that The Hearing and Speech Agency had an opening, but she didn't say anything about already filling out an application, much less brining Cami in for an interview. "What evaluation?" The last time they talked about taking Cami for more tests, Jeff had explicated told her no. He specifically told her that he didn't care what that quack doctor thought Cami wasn't having any more surgeries. "When'd you send all this out?"

Taking one glance back in the living room to check on Cami, Jeff moved quickly to the office and turned on the light. There it was. An enrollment package, complete with Cami's physiological makeup…all it was waiting on was his signature and apparently a deposit.

When the hell had Chase done all this? Why didn't she talk to him about it first? "I need to talk to my wife. She'll call you back." Pushing the end button on the phone, Jeff stared blankly at the folder containing Cami's latest test results underneath of the application. "I don't fuckin' believe this."

* * *

"Hey Daddy." Using her best little girl voice Maddy opened the door to her mother's house and wandered into the living room. She didn't want to be there, but Randy had gone to work out, and she still had a few hours before meeting Britain at the Blank Canvas to decorate for the bachelorette party. Besides, she hadn't seen her mom in a few months. Maybe with this much time between them this visit would actually be pleasant. She could hope, at least. "Nothing. I'm at Mom's."

Nodding his head at the waitress, Dave handed over his menu and motioned a finger to indicate to Rick that he'd be a minute. "Mom? You're home?"

"Yeah. I came home early to help Britain." She made her way to the back yard to see her mother kneeling in the dirt. That was a good sign. Gardening always seemed to put Emily in a better mood. Waving a hand back to her in acknowledgement, Maddy took a seat on the patio chair.

Resting his cheek against his large hand, Dave blinked doubtfully. Did his daughters really think he was stupid? He could always tell when something was wrong with them. When Chase was nervous, she rambled. When Maddy did something wrong, she was the sweetest little girl on the planet. When Alli was upset, she got quieter, if that were possible. He knew his girls. He loved them. So why did they always play this game as if he didn't know what was going on?

"Pumpkin?" He asked slowly, raising his voice to a question at the end of the word. "What's wrong?"

Taking a huge breath, Maddy closed her eyes. She knew if she did it now, she wouldn't have to repeat the story. The last thing she wanted was for her father to tell her mother or vice versa. They'd both be so pissed that by the time they told the other one they would have made it out to be so much worse than it was. "Daddy…it's nothing."

"Don't do that. I know something's up. Alli won't hardly talk to me. Chase is busy. Don't you shut me out, too." He had learned how to manipulate them, just as well as they could manipulate him. If Maddy wanted lay on the charm, he'd lay on the guilt. No big deal.

She should have tried harder to get Britain to do it. But Britain told her that she was staying out of it. Now Maddy was going to have to face the firing squad, alone. "Well…I kinda. I kinda didn't do so well in my classes."

"Maddy…"

"No wait. It's not my fault. That one class was too hard and that other professor hated me. She always picked on me and gave _me _extra work. I didn't have time to do it. Even if I had _no_ life, I still wouldn't have enough time to do everything she asked." She paused for a brief moment, but not long enough to let him get a word in. If she let him interrupt her now, she might just keep the rest of it to herself completely. "I met with the Dean and…I think I'm gonna transfer to the University of Florida."

Dave bit the inside of his lip angrily and instantly felt his cheeks get hot. She failed her classes? How the hell hard was it to take two classes, the exact two that she had just taken the semester before, and fail them both times? "Then you're gonna pay for it yourself."

"Daddy, I can't pay for school! I don't have a job!" Great, now her mother was walking toward her and she didn't look all relaxed and gardened anymore. Those piercing blue eyes were looking through her with such disappointment. It was like looking at Randy's eyes when she told him why she was really home. Why in the hell had she started telling people the truth? It wasn't working in her favor. "Transferring is not that big of a deal. Florida has the all the same classes. And, I could save you money by living with you and commuting. Plus, there's a Gamma chapter on campus…"

"Don't talk to me about the Gamma's. You better start thinking about your education, not some stupid sorority. If the Gamma's were that important, they would have help you study or better yet, they'd foot the bill for your transfer." That was it. Dave had enough of this conversation. He hadn't talked to his daughter in two weeks and already he wanted to ring her neck. "I'm so disappointed in you."

"So, how can I make this up? What do you want me to do?" Her voice lowered sadly as her mother looked at her and shook her head before walking into the house.

"I want you to get you to get it together. Either you do what you're supposed to do at Towson, or you come home, get a job and transfer."

Tears pricked the back of her eyes at the stern tone he was using with her. He was always stern with her. Let Chase do anything he'd coddle and baby her. Of course Alli was perfect, so no one ever got mad at her. It was only her. Apparently, she was the bad seed. "Fine." She pouted and hung up the phone on her father. She knew she'd have to hear his mouth about that, too. But right now, she was pissed. And since she wouldn't take it out on her father, and Alli wasn't there, her mother had to do.

Making her way into the kitchen, Maddy stood in the doorway with her hand on her hip. "I don't even get a hello? All I get is you shaking your head at me? I knew you wouldn't understand. I knew you wouldn't support me. You never do."

"What do you want me to do, Maddy? Apparently you're failing out of school and instead of talking to me about it, you run to your father." Emily spoke calmly as she poured a glass of lemonade for herself. It was always like this. Every time she saw Maddy they would end up in a fight. It was no wonder was felt a sense of dread as soon as her daughter stepped out onto the back porch. "I hear one side of a conversation and you expect me to take your side? Why when all you're doing is twisting situation around until everyone feels sorry for you." Taking her cup in hand Emily headed toward the back door. "You screwed up. And for once your daddy's not running to your rescue. You made this mess. Deal with it."

She didn't know why she was so angry at her mother. Was it because her father had told her to get a job, or was it because just once she wanted her mother to back her up? Either way, this visit wasn't going like it was supposed to. They were supposed to see each other after two months and talk about what was going on in each others lives. Even if was fake and superficial, it would have been nice just to once have a somewhat normal conversation with her mom. "Oh, don't act like you didn't expect it. You never thought I could do it. I've always been the screw up, right? That's the only time you ever notice me is when I do something wrong."

"Oh you're one to talk. If it doesn't involve you being popular, you don't give a shit about anything else." If nothing else Emily was brutally honest with her children. Who cared if Dave and Britain didn't like the things she said to them? It was a harsh world and they had to get it straight from the hip from somewhere. "It never matters with you where the attention comes from, as long as you're the center of it. You couldn't get it here, so you moved in with your father. When you got with Randy, you damn near refused to school to stay in his bed. When you hooked up with those little whores at school, you stopped going to class and started doing God knows what. You're an attention junkie. You've always been. _That's_ why I didn't think you were ready for college. There's no room for an education anddoing _whatever_ it takes to make people like you."

It was like being slapped in the face. How dare she? Her mother didn't know her, not like she claimed too. All she knew was her perfect other daughters. "You think I'm just gonna do whatever with whoever just for attention? That's what you did. I'm not like you." Walking past the island, Maddy felt her arm being yanked to pull her back.

Emily gritted her teeth as she looked into the hurt and frightened eyes of her daughter. Sometimes looking at Maddy made Emily sick to her stomach. Why couldn't she just understand that she was doing this for her own good? She had been Maddy years ago and she saw her making the same mistakes she did. "You are _exactly_ like me. Only I had dreams and a plan. By the time I met your father, I already had Chase, but at least I had my shit together. I fell of all of his bullshit about how he was going to take care of me and how I was gonna want for nothing. Next thing I know, I'm pregnant again. Only this time I had to drop out of school to take care of his ass and the two of you. He didn't do shit. _I_ worked. _I_ paid the bills and in the end, he left me. _I _put my life on hold to make sure that you had everything you needed you ungrateful little brat."

Yanking her arm back Maddy squared her shoulders. "You don't have to approve of me or anything I do. I don't care. I don't live my life for you. You keep blaming us for what happened with Daddy. Maybe he realized how much of a miserable bitch you are and that's why he left you. He didn't love you. He found someone better that he loves and you hate that. Well, ya know what? Randy loves me and he's not going anywhere. Jeff loves Chase, and he's not leaving her, either. And when your dyke daughter realizes how much of troll you actually are, she's gonna leave you, too. We don't need you. And we're gonna leave you to be alone and miserable for the rest of your life!"

Without thinking Emily's hand contacted with Maddy's cheek. It was a reflex. Her words hurt. Maddy just put all of her fears out in the open. Watching her daughter walk toward the front door, Emily quickly followed to tell her what else was on her mind. "And for the record, the _only_ difference between us is you're not knocked up…yet. And if that's your big career plan, than I wish you a daughter that give you just as much grief as you give me."

* * *

Smoothing her hands over her gym shorts, Alli stopped short of the door to the restaurant. What was she doing there? To date this was the worst idea she had ever had, but Layla had a way of making Alli make stupid choices. Not that anything she'd done so far had been bad for her. It's just that Layla was always pushing her out of her comfort zone. She mad her excited to try new things. She'd made her dress sexy, and wear make up. She bought her her first porn. And now, she was about to go on her first date.

Or was it a date? She and Layla had been out for food before. But, that was before she knew about Layla's crush. How was she supposed to act now? Would Layla expect her to be flirty or something? What if Layla tried to flirt with her?

Alli stepped inside the pub and noticed Layla waving at her from a table in the back. She looked so pretty with her brown curls gently dancing around her face and hanging loosely on her shoulders. She was wearing a pink tank top and a little blue skirt, making Alli feel completely underdressed. Perhaps she should've opted for something other than nylon gym shorts and an Old Navy t-shirt. Upon approaching the table she could make out Layla's ultra girly shoes complete with painted toe nails. They were so much more than Alli's Nike socks and sandals.

"I shoulda dressed nicer." Alli spoke as she stood next to the table. Pulling her hair from out of the ponytail that held it back, she ran her hand over the rat's nest on top of her head and tried to look presentable. "Do you want me to go home and change?"

Shaking her curls as she laughed, Layla patted at the bench for Alli to sit down. "You look great. Sit down. I'm starving."

Nervously, Alli took a seat and stared blankly as a glass of water and a menu were placed before her. She couldn't think about food, only about Layla's perfume. Why didn't she think to wear perfume? And if she did would it smell that nice on her? She wondered what it was called and if she should get a bottle of it for herself. "You smell nice."

Raising her eyes from her menu, Layla nodded her head. "Um, thanks." Why did this feel so awkward? If she hadn't have told Alli about her crush, she wouldn't be looking for things to say now. All day at practice Alli had avoided her, asking Shane if she could spar with James instead. And to top it off, Alli seemed to be so nervous that she looked like she was about to cry. "Alli look. We got to put this _thing _behind us. We're friends. I don't want there to be any weirdness."

"Me either." Alli answered quietly moving her straw around in her cup. "I just don't know what to do. I've never been on a…a date before. This is a date, right?" She was the biggest dork on the planet. How could she not know if she was even on a date? Why was Layla interested in her again?

"If you want to think of it as a date, than sure. If not, it's just an early dinner. We've hung out plenty. This should be the easy part." Alli looked up and nodded at the waitress stood before them. Ordering a salad and bread sticks, she smile widely as Alli ordered a burger and fries. "I wish I could eat like that. God. I haven't had a burger in ages."

"You can have some of mine." Alli looked up hopefully, wishing to hell that she didn't sound desperate. "I don't usually eat meat that often. But I've been working out a lot lately. I ran four miles today and I worked out extra after everyone left. But I won't eat it all. You could have some…if you want."

Shaking her head, Layla placed her hand on Alli's. "Exercise and meat consumption? Really? We're going to talk about this? Let's talk something fun. Like, how good drop kick is getting. Or what about you going to Smackdown. That's a big deal, to see how it works backstage. Aren't you excited?"

"No. My dad's gonna be there. I haven't exactly told him yet."

"Alli, you said that you were going to. You didn't tell him about school yet, either, have you?" Taking a large sip of her soda, Layla shook her head. She loved the way that when Alli got uncomfortable she slumped her shoulders and played nervously with her fingers. Judging by the way she was picking at her the cuticle on her right thumb, Alli was scared shitless at the idea of telling her father. "Even if you don't tell him about school, just tell him you're learning to wrestle over the summer. How hard can that be?"

A cynical chuckle escaped Alli's lips. "You really don't know him, do you? My dad's not rational when it comes to us. He flipped because I didn't want to go to basketball camp this year. I can't even image what he'd say if he knew I gave up camp to wrestle."

"So don't tell him. Tell him you're just there to see him." Layla quickly scrunched her face after the words were out of her mouth. "You can't do that. Patrick and his big mouth would ruin it. No, you should be honest. Just tell him. Or better yet, get Chase to tell him for you."

"No, I'll do it. I just don't want to see that look in his eyes. He's got this disappointed face. It kills." She didn't want to think about her father right now. She just wanted her burger so she'd have something to divert her attention away from the soft curls playing around Layla's face.

Licking her lips carefully, Layla tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Well, if it'll help you out any, I can be there when you tell him. Just so you'd have something else to focus on…if you want."

"No. That's okay. The last thing you want is for him to be mad at you, too. I'll handle it."

There it was again. That determined look in Alli's eyes. The way she lifted her chin and breathed in deeply when she had her mind set on something, that was the most attractive thing about her. If only she could see it. "You're really pretty." Layla wasn't sure where the words came from. But they were out in the open now. It wasn't even on topic, but just looking at Alli right then, it demanded to be said. "And you're really smart." Recovering quickly, she swirled the ice around in her glass. "I'm sure you'll do what's right, when it's right for you to do it."

"You think I'm pretty?" Who cared about that other stuff? No one had ever told her that she was pretty before. "I don't look like Chase or Maddy or anything. I mean, Maddy and I look alike. But she's like you. _Really_ girlie. She's way prettier than me and she has dimples."

"Why do you always do that? Compare yourself to your sisters?" Ducking her head down to try to catch Alli's eyes that were pinned on the table, Layla spoke softly. "I'm sure they're great. But you're not them and their not you. I bet you they you they compare themselves to you, too. Stop selling yourself short."

Was she blushing? Shit. She hadn't planned on blushing. "Are you gonna try to kiss me after dinner?"

Layla spit her soda across the table and coughed as she tried to clear her throat. "Where in the hell did that come from? Have I ever tried to kiss you before?"

"No. But you said I was pretty and this kind of a date. Are you expecting something?"

"Are you?" Layla asked in surprise. There was something so beautiful about how naïve Alli was. She wasn't jaded or just pretending to be an airhead. She honestly had no idea of the effect she had on people.

Shrugging her shoulders, Alli looked around the restaurant for the waitress. Why couldn't she keep her foot out of her mouth? If she were eating right now, she wouldn't be making an ass out of herself. "No. I don't think so."

"Well how 'bout this. If you decide that you want to kiss me or for me to kiss you. Then tell me and we'll talk about it. If you decide you don't, then it won't happen. No pressure." No pressure for Alli maybe, but now Layla would spend the rest of the night wondering if Alli would..

* * *

"Thanks for helping me out. I didn't know who else to call." Britain smiled as she handed over the diaper bag to Jess. She hadn't expected to get a call from her agent so soon.

Taking the bag from her friend, Jess nodded. "I'm the godmother. That's what I'm here for." Turning her head at the sound of something falling to the floor, she placed one hand on her hip. "Ash, get off of that." She turned to face Britain quickly. "I gotta go. Can't keep the natives restless for too long."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours. Then I'll pick the boys up, so we can go over to the gallery and decorate."

"Just leave them here. They're in good hands. Besides, Ash likes to have boys to play with. Even if they don't know what a Pokémon is." Placing the diaper bag on the floor, while balancing DJ on her hip, she reached her free arm out for Mikey. "What time is the party again?"

"It's at six. I hope I can everything done today. Tomorrow is gonna be crazy as it is. But at least my parents will be here to help." Blowing a kiss to both of her sons, Britain turned around to face the street. "Oh, and Jess? Don't tell Jericho, yet. I don't want him to talk to Dave before I get a chance to. Be good you, two. I love you."

Britain pulled her sun glasses down over her eyes and headed back to the car. The drive to Wexler Studios was a short one from the Jericho residence, and if she could avoid traffic on the highway, she would be there with plenty time to spare. She couldn't believe that she was going through this shit again. It had been years since she felt this kind of nervousness about a job. But she could do it. She had been doing it practically all of her life. So, she was a little older, and maybe a little hippier than she used to be. She still looked good and her husband appreciated her post baby body.

But was she ready? Everything seemed to be happening so fast. It was only a few days ago that she had told Kepper the she may be interested in going back to work, and she'd be damned if she didn't already have two go-sees this afternoon. They were nothing big. One was for a spokes-model at a local boat show and the other was for a fashion show at a trendy new boutique that recently opened. Neither job was the of the caliber that she used to model, but she had to start small. Being out of the game for almost two years was hard for any career, modeling especially.

She could feel herself cringe at the thought of how many beautiful, _young _girls that would be there. She was once like them, fifteen, dressing up to look every bit of twenty. She hated having to spin around like a trained dog in front of a panel of people who judged her solely on her looks. But she had never done anything that she wasn't one-hundred percent comfortable doing. Her mother had made sure of that. And no matter how much it bothered her at times, the payoff was unbelievable. It gave her a comfortable life, and all of the amenities she could want. It provided her with a comfortable nest egg that she invested and continued to grow. That was thanks to her father's financial savvy.

And though she knew that neither she nor her children would go hungry anytime soon, she knew she had to do something with two college tuitions, two children that would soon need primary school educations, and a husband on the brink of quitting his job.

Pulling up in front of the studio, she turned off the engine and sucked in a breath. If the butterflies would just stop, she could nail this audition. She reached over to the black attaché case on the passenger seat and ran her fingers over the gold monogram: Britain Weis-Batista. "Here goes nothin'."


	22. Chapter 22

_**This chapter contains sexual content. **_

_The Garden of Eden_ played on her iPod so Chase wouldn't catch her watching it again. Thank God for modern technology. With her ear buds in place, Alli laid on her bed listening to the action and reading the DVD box. She loved this movie. Not because of the sex, but because of what Eden stood for.

For all intents and purposes, Eden was her. She was a confused girl that didn't know who she was or what she wanted. Granted, Alli wasn't wandering around a fantasy world, wearing a flowing white dress, or having sexual encounters with everyone from milk maids to servant boys. But still, Eden did whatever it took to figure out what she wanted. And Alli was determined to be like that, too. The problem was, she knew what she wanted, or at least she thought she did, just not how to get it.

Layla had told her that if she wanted to kiss her than to tell her. And how exactly was she supposed to do that? She couldn't even tell her that she was remotely attracted to her. She couldn't seem to do anything around Layla, no matter how much she told herself to act natural.

Dinner had been the easiest part of their "date". Hanging out together at the Raleigh Carnival sure as hell hadn't been. There were couples there… couples that held hands and won stuffed animals for each other. When Alli won a stuffed octopus in the free throw game, she hated to even look over at Layla, for fear that she would want it. Not that she minded giving it to her, but she didn't want it to seem corny. And, Layla must have sensed her uneasiness because she then made the comment that Cami would love the toy.

But it wasn't Cami's. At least, it wasn't supposed to be. Alli had won it for Layla. She wanted her to have it…to see her smile when she got it…to be the cause of that smile. That's why she picked the hideous purple thing. Had it been up to her, Alli would have gone for the Spalding basketball. But now the purple monstrosity lay in the corner of her bed taunting her for being afraid.

Glancing over at the iPod screen, she held her breath when Eden let the pretty brunette unbutton her dress. Why couldn't Alli be fearless like that? Why couldn't she give Layla the octopus?

Growing frustrated, she turned off the movie and took the buds out of her ears. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror before grabbing the brush and trying to do something with her hair. Britain had told her that sexy was in the eyes. Well, she had eyes, two of them and they didn't seem sexy to her. Layla had told her that she was really pretty. Where had she been looking?

Making what were supposed to be sexy faces at herself in the mirror, Alli realized that she looked ridiculous. She stuck her tongue out her reflection before collapsing back on the bed completely defeated.

* * *

Chase put a blanket around Cami as she slept on the couch. A half eaten tub of cotton candy was sitting on the coffee table, and judging from the chocolate stains on her face, hands and shirt, she'd had ice cream. Not to mention the stuff animals, coloring book and wrapped pretzel with two Cami sized bites taken out of it that rested beside her. It was a wonder that she could sleep at all with the amount of junk Jeff had gotten her at the zoo.

Chase was glad that they had such a good day out. But judging from how much fun they appeared to have, Jeff seemed quiet and dismissive. When she walked in the house, she wasn't greeted with the usual kiss or his smile. Instead, he offered her a nod of his head, before he went outside to feed the dogs. And the fact that he was still out there, sitting on the back porch in the rain, with his sketch book didn't suggest that he wanted to be bothered. "Jeff? You okay?"

Talking to him was not a good idea. Not right now. He just wanted to be alone. Things with them used to be so simple. They always were able to come to some sort of compromise when it came to the hard topics. But he was sick of compromising when it came to Cami. He was her father, for God's sake. He had every right that Chase had when it came to her welfare.

"What's wrong?" Chase held the door open for him and noticed how he brushed past her and made his way to the basement door.

Stopping with his hand on the doorknob, he closed his eyes and tried his best to remain calm. "The Hearing and Speech Agency called. They need an answer by Monday."

His icy tone isn't what made her freeze to the spot. It was the fact that she knew before she had gotten a chance to tell him. She had every intention on talking to him about all of this before he left again. But, she just hadn't gotten to it yet. "I told you they had place for her. You said we'd talk about it when you got home."

"You told me they had a spot. You didn't tell me you took her there for an interview. She's a baby. What the hell are they interviewing her for? And you didn't tell me that you got more test done on her. Just like you didn't tell me that you were talking to Social Security about her getting SSI, until _after_ you did it." Turning around to look at Chase he could see the tears starting to pool in her eyes. He hated when she cried, but she had crossed the line. "I'm sick of all of this shit you're doing behind my back. That's _my_ daughter, too, Chase. You don't get to make all the rules and decisions about her."

"I didn't tell you before because I knew that you'd try to talk me out of it." Folding the dishtowel in her hand, Chase kept her eyes on the floor. There was a sense of guilt for doing this without Jeff's consent. However, knowing that she was doing something for the benefit of her child outweighed that. "Cami needs this, Jeff. She needs _something_. And I'm tired of just sitting by waiting for you to want to talk about it. She's getting bigger…the problem isn't going away."

Throwing his sketch book to the counter, Jeff let out a sarcastic huff. How many times were they going to have this conversation? It's not like it mattered what he said anyway, Chase was determined to what she wanted, no matter what he thought. "Why does she need it, Chase? Because some quack ass doctor told you so? They were the same ones that said our seven week old daughter needed surgery on her ears that end up not working. They're the same ones that said that she needed another surgery for that hearing aid she can't stand to wear. They are the same ones that want to cut her open again. And Lord knows what those people in that school wanna teach her. I'm not letting her be a guinea pig, no more!"

"They want to teach her how to talk to us! They want to teach us how to talk to her! They want to give her a chance."

"Bullshit!" Taking a few steps closer to Chase, Jeff pointed his finger in her direction. "Y'all wanna make her a crippled freak. Y'all want people to feel sorry for her and make her feel sorry for herself. Well, there ain't nothing to feel sorry for!"

Folding her arms across her chest, Chase cringed at the sight of him. She was so sick of this Cami is perfect bullshit. Cami had a problem and if Jeff wasn't going to admit it, she was. One of them had to be objective. "Like you'd know. You see her two days a week. And in two days you manage to undo everything we've worked so hard on entire week. When she's with you, she doesn't sign. When she's with you, she points and grunts. She doesn't even try at all with you. You don't make her try. I don't want to spend the rest of her life, having you undo everything in the two days that you're home."

"Where do you get off telling me how I can be with my daughter? We communicate just fine and we don't need hearing aids or fucking sign language to do it." He could see Chase open her mouth to say something, but he shook his head to stop her. He wasn't going to stop until she did. "And maybe she picks up stuff with me so quick because in the two days that I'm here she gets to be a kid… not some science project."

"What do you know about what she gets to do with me? You're never here! I'm damn near raising her by myself, so I'm sorry if you don't approve of me trying to get her some help. But I'm doing the best I can for _my _daughter!"

"Don't act like I don't want what's best for her! You didn't even want her and now suddenly you're holier than thou? _I'm _the one that wanted her, Chase. Me!" He didn't mean to hurt her, this argument wasn't about hurting anyone. He never wanted to go to that one place that there was no return from. And judging from the way her hand flew to her mouth and the tears poured out of her eyes, he knew that nothing he could say would take the sting away. "I didn't mean that."

Looking past Jeff, Chase noticed Alli standing at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't want to be fighting with Jeff and she damn sure didn't want to do it in front of Alli. Just that look on her face reminded her of those times when they were little and her parents would fight. Alli always cried. Chase and Maddy got used to it, but not Alli. She would be the one that would go to her mother's room after their father would leave and sit with her for hours. She always looked so defeated after they would fight. And right then, Alli looked she did when she was five.

Alli had every intention of leaving the house when she heard them arguing. But looking at Chase, she knew she couldn't leave her. "I'm gonna take Cami upstairs." Alli said quietly walking over to the couch to retrieve the sleeping baby. She couldn't leave now. Not when Chase and Jeff looked like the fate of the world hung on the next sentence. She hadn't even heard most of it, but by the time the bottom step, she'd heard what Jeff said. Cami didn't to be around that vibe and Chase might need her. She couldn't leave. Not now.

Shaking her head at her sister, she cut her eyes to Jeff and walked into the living room. "She's fine. Just leave her."

"You sure?" Alli wouldn't let her eyes meet Jeff's. She liked Jeff but Chase was her sister and he reminded her too much of her father just then. Even though she knew that he wouldn't do anything to Chase, she still didn't want to leave her alone. "I can stay down here with you, if you want.

Standing a few feet in front of Alli, Chase reached out a hand and touched her sister's arm. "No. It's okay. Go out. Have fun. We'll be fine." She watched as Alli closed the door, and then looked over at Cami. She had slept through it all. It was amazing. She and Jeff were yelling just a few feet away from her, and she didn't hear a thing. And Jeff didn't seem to notice there was anything wrong with that. "You don't think it's weird that Alli could hear us from upstairs, but Cami's right here and she didn't hear anything?" She could feel him standing there looking at her. She knew that he was sorry for what he said, but not as sorry as she was for feeling it herself. It wasn't like she didn't think about it every day since Cami was born.

"Chase, I know you want what's best for her. I just don't think this is it. So what her hearing's not that great. I don't care. I just want her to be happy." Touching her elbow with his hand, he tried his best to show her that he was still on her side, even if they agree. "Why can't we just make her happy?"

"You wanna know what the doctor said?" Turing around to face him, she no longer cared that the tears were flowing down her face. It hurt too much to say it out loud, but he had to know that raising her was not just about making her happy. But about doing what was best for her. "I had two second opinions and they both agree. Another surgery won't do anything. The bone is deteriorating. The little bit of hearing she has is going to leave the older she gets. She's deaf. She's always going to be deaf. She's never going to hear the sound of our voices. She's never going to have that _normal_ life that we both want for her." Taking a step away from him, she rounded the corner and picked her daughter up in her arms. This conversation was over as far as she was concerned. "I don't care if you mad at me. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure she gets as normal a life as possible. Whether you like it or not."

* * *

Standing barefoot in front of the door, Layla lifted herself on her toes to see out of the peep hole. Shannon was only five foot nine, so why in the hell was his peep hole so high? "Who is it?"

"Alli." She answered quietly. Of course she would end up here. Where else was she going to go? She really didn't know anybody else.

Layla unlocked the door and took a step back to look at her. She looked fine physically, but she had this expression that Layla couldn't quite place. "Are you alright?"

Running her fingers through her wet hair, Alli nodded. She stepped by Layla and stood beside the door keeping her eyes on her hands. "I'm fine. Chase and Jeff are fighting…"

"Lemme get you a towel." Layla closed the door behind her and made her way upstairs. Returning quickly she handed a clean towel to Alli and watched as the taller girl dried her face and hair. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No. It was weird staying there and I didn't know where else to go."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I just made popcorn and I got a movie." A loud crash of thunder in the background caused Layla to look at the ceiling. The rain was really starting to come down now. Alli wouldn't be leaving anytime soon in the middle of this storm so she might as well make herself comfortable. "You want something? Some tea or hot chocolate?"

Shaking her head Alli took a seat on the couch. She played nervously with her fingers when Layla returned to her place next to her. She felt like she should say something. Maybe explain why she was there, or what she had been thinking about before. Maybe she should tell Layla how much hearing Chase and Jeff argue bothered her. Or tell her that she had already seen this movie before. She could think of a number of things that she should say, but none of them seemed to make it to her mouth.

Layla curled her legs underneath her and smiled when she noticed Alli's eyes. She poked her finger on Alli's jean covered thigh. "You changed your clothes." Alli's absent nod made her raise her brows. Reaching her hand out to touch Alli's hair line, she locked eyes on her. "What's on your mind?"

She had always been able to talk to Layla. Even if she didn't really talk, Layla had a way of filling the blanks. She trusted her, probably more than anyone. But she just couldn't help feeling stupid about what she was about to ask. "How did you know you liked… girls?"

"Wow. Um…hmm…" Considering the question, Layla withdrew her hand and tucked it under her own cheek while resting her elbow on the back of the couch. "I don't know. I always thought they were pretty and I've always really comfortable around them. It's like I just did. I just liked boys, too. I always noticed different things about them. Like guys, I love their arms and chests. Girls? I really love their hips, ass and thighs. I guess I always knew it and I never really questioned it."

Why couldn't she talk about this so causally? Why was it so wrong for Alli to admit what she was feeling? "I've never liked a boy. Not really. I used to think Ray Lewis was cute. But that's not the same."

"Do you like girls?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Alli kept her focus on the couch cushion between them. "I don't look at their bodies or anything. I don't drool over them. I used to have this friend that I really liked. But it was because she so smart and easy to talk to…"

"You could just be yourself?" Nodding her head in understanding, Layla finished the sentence for her. "That's nice." Thinking about it, Layla studied Alli's face. "You said used to..."

"She freaked out when I told her." Picking at the string on the bottom of her shirt, Alli forced herself to continue. She didn't think Layla would react the way Nicole had. But she didn't know what to do if Layla didn't. "I'm kinda scared that you're gonna freak out, too."

Layla tried to hide her smile, but it was impossible. "Alli you can talk to me. I'm not going to freak out. I promise."

"I think…I think I kinda like you, too. But this thing with Shannon…"

Placing her hand on Alli's to stop her from winding the string any tighter and cutting off her circulation, Layla closed her eyes. "I don't know how else to explain it. We're friends. We have a good time together. We sleep together, yes, but that's all there is. I'm not looking for a boyfriend and I don't think he wants a serious girlfriend. It's just casual with us."

"I don't want to get in the middle of that." Lifting her eyes to Layla's face, Alli had the fight the urge to react to her hand on hers. Layla had the warmest skin and she still smelled like that perfume. Why was she sitting here telling her all the reasons she couldn't like her again?

"There's nothing to be in the middle of. Shannon's met girls and brought them here while I've been staying here. I've had a few dates. There's nothing serious with us. I promise you that." She squeezed Alli's hand tighter before running her thumb over the back of her hand. "Besides, you and I are just friends, right? We're friends that find ourselves attracted to each other. That doesn't mean we're going to be Domestic Partners or anything."

But what did it mean? What was she supposed to do now? All she knew was the tingling feeling she had going through her entire body every time Layla's hand swept across hers. "Remember you told me that if I wanted you to kiss me, to tell you?" She kept her voice so low that it was barely audible. That always happened when she was nervous. She couldn't help it. Hopefully Layla wouldn't hear her, and then she wouldn't have to face the rejection. "I never kissed anybody before."

"It's pretty simple. Just start out slow." Leaning her upper body over to where Alli sat, Layla found herself just inches from the other woman's face. "Wet your lips, just a little. No one likes slobbery kisses. And then just touch your lips to mine softly."

"What about my tongue? How far do I put it in your mouth?" Alli closed her eyes feeling Layla's breath on her. From this close, she smelled like popcorn butter, which was exciting. Not because she was hungry, but because it smelled right on Layla.

The most girlie giggle escaped Layla's lips as she gently pressed them against Alli's. "Stop thinking. Just kiss me."

* * *

"Orton, can you hang up that banner?" Britain stood by the ladder pointing to the space on ceiling. She'd only asked him to help to stop Maddy making a complete fool of herself. Since Randy walked in the door all that girl did was follow him around. Wasn't she the one that just said, not minutes before he got there, that she didn't need a man, like her mother had suggested? You couldn't prove it at that moment. Besides, with a crew of only three, there was a lot more work to be done to the gallery to get it ready for X's bachelorette party and she needed all the help she could get. "Come here." Grabbing Maddy by the arm she pulled the younger woman to the side. "What are you doing? Why are you all up his ass?"

Rolling her eyes Maddy let them land back on Randy. "I told him about school, now he's mad at me, too. I keep trying to get him to talk to me."

"Don't follow him around, though. You look desperate. Go over there and stuff the gift bags or something." She watched as Maddy started to protest, but after narrowing her pale blue eyes, she eventually got what she wanted. "Hello?" Balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder, Britain checked her event book to check what time the exotic dancers were scheduled to come. "Hey Chase. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Have you heard from Daddy? I tried to call him." She laid on her bed with the box of tissues next to her, wondering where Jeff had gone. She heard the door slam over an hour ago and he still hadn't called. More than likely he was at Matt's, but why did he have to leave? Why couldn't he just stay there and work it out with her?

"He should be at the hotel by now. Try calling him again." Covering the phone with her hand, she motioned to Randy to straighten the sign. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna to try call him again and then go to bed. I'll see you Friday." Hanging up the phone, Chase blinked back another round of tears. It was times like these that she needed her father. He was the only one that would understand. Dialing the number as she walked toward the window, she looked out and felt her chin quiver at not seeing Jeff's car. "Hey, Daddy. It's Chase. Call me when you get a chance."

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Layla asked licking her lips at the sight of Alli's.

Alli dropped her eyes almost as soon as she nodded her head. "I don't know what to do."

The knowledge behind Layla's eyes shined through as she tilted Alli's head to hers. Everything about her was young and innocent, right down to her peppermint breath. Rubbing her hand across the youngest female Batista's shoulder Layla watched as her open shirt fell to the bed under them. "Just relax."

Layla's thumb brushed Alli's cheek, but her eyes never left her lips. She wanted to kiss them again. She wanted to feel them on hers one more time. Letting her thumb trace the contour of Alli's jaw, she lowered her eyes the pulse beating in the hollow of her throat. "Do you want to do more?"

More? She knew there was more, and she definitely wanted it. But was she ready? If she did this, there was no turning back. If she allowed herself to give into what she wanted she would be proving Maddy right. She would be doing everything that she swore to her mother was an accident and would never happen again. She would be giving her father and Britain yet another thing to argue about. But to hell with all of them. They weren't there. They didn't have to know.

Alli wanted this…she wanted it with Layla.

She nodded her head, afraid that if she spoke she would say no, while every nerve in her body screamed yes and closed her eyes as Layla's fingers made soft circles on her bare stomach. Was her stomach supposed to quiver like that? And did the prospect of sex always make it hard to breathe? Was this normal, or was she about to have a heart attack? Not that it mattered. If she was about to die, this was definitely the way to go. Layla's hand was so warm against her skin that it sent a thousand bolts of electricity through her. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.

"We can go as far as you want." Layla spoke quietly against Alli's lips before sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. When she felt the younger girl's head nod in confirmation, she laid her back on the bed. Resting her weight on her elbows, Layla let her gaze fall on Alli's bra. As inviting as it was, it was nothing compared to what she was sure lied beneath.

Alli rolled to her side to allow Layla access to her bra. Feeling the restrictive fabric being released, she rolled to her back and moved the strands of hair that had fallen on her face. She had always thought that Layla was pretty, but she never noticed just how beautiful she was. Everything from those dark brown eyes pinned on her, to the way she smirked before lowering her head to her chest, was absolutely stunning. Just looking at her Alli could feel her nipples start to harden though she wasn't sure if it was from the cool air now hitting her skin, or if it was Layla, that had caused the reaction.

Her back arched on its own as soon as Layla's warm mouth gently pinched the skin between her teeth. She couldn't stop her lids from growing heavy nor the grinding rhythm that her own hips made as the other woman's slowly moved against hers. She wasn't sure why she did that. She had no intention on doing it. But the feeling was overwhelming and pretty much demanded that she comply.

Layla continued her decent smiling when Alli raised her hips to allow her panties to be removed. Settling her body against Alli's, Layla reached her hand out to the younger girl, mainly to curb her fears. If the size of her eyes was any indication of what she was feeling, she really was petrified at the idea of what was about to transpire. Kissing her waistline, Layla rested her check on Alli's thigh, "I can stop now, if you want."

But she didn't want her to. If she stopped now she knew that she'd never get up the nerve to do this again. And she wanted to. More than anything she wanted her. But if she did, there was no going back. Even if it would raise more questions. Her mild attraction to women might translate into her an all out want of them. She might finally have to declare her sexuality. But as scary as that was, she knew that there was nothing that was going to stop her from wanting the woman who's breath she could feel so close to her heat.

Placing her lips on Alli's, Layla drank in her taste. She was exquisite and simply beautiful. She felt the way Alli stiffened against her mouth. Reaching her hand between the other woman's legs, Layla intertwined her fingers with her lover's. "It's okay to move or to make noise. Tell me what you like, or if you want me to do something."

Layla's words rang out in Alli's ears, but it was hard to hear anything over the pounding of her heart. She couldn't stop her stomach from quivering each time Layla's hand touched it. She couldn't stop her legs from shaking each time Layla's curls brushed against her thighs. She couldn't stop the red and blue colors from dancing in her eyes from squeezing them closed so tight. She couldn't stop anything. She didn't want to.

And though she was nervous as hell, she couldn't stop feeling _everything_. Her heart was pounding, but not from fear. It was more like that feeling of falling. And though she was sweating, she could feel the goose bumps on her skin. Every now and again she would hear herself moan, but then she would stop because she thought she might be too loud. And then there was the sudden intake of breath that made her pant. Was this what it was always like? If so, no wonder Maddy always talked about sex like it was the greatest invention on earth.

Alli's body was telling her to move, to do more to get more of the feeling that she was encountering, but there was something inside of her that refused to let her guard down. All she wanted right now was to dig her hands in Layla's soft curls. Just to touch her in some way, but she couldn't. Instead she drew her arms to her chest, covering her face with her hands.

"Do you want me to stop?" Layla reached her hand out and touch pulled on her arm to bring it down to her. Kissing her palm, Layla looked up to Alli who finally looked back at her. "Just tell me."

But Alli didn't want her to stop. She wanted her to keep doing it, forever. Each time she got used to Layla doing something that she thought was the best thing she had ever felt, she'd do something else that felt twice as good. "No." She managed to squeak out. It wasn't that she wanted her to stop; she just didn't know what to do with herself.

Alli told herself to relax and let her hands fall to her sides and she clutched the sheets. Her thighs started twitched as a tickle moved through her entire body. With one movement she felt her hips roll and suddenly everything in the room start to spin. Her eyes flew open and a sound from deep inside of her tumbled out of her mouth. All she could do was cover her face with her entire hand if for no other reason than to hide the huge smile that broke out. She was sure that she wasn't supposed to be smiling at a time like this.

Was she giddy? Had Layla reduced her to being a girlie girl? In her whole life she had never thought of herself as being girlie or feeling particularly feminine. But in that moment, Alli felt like the most beautiful, feminine woman in the world.

It was as if everything stood still. Layla watched as Alli experienced her first orgasm with an amused smile on her face. She couldn't take her eyes off of the way her chest rose and fell with each breath she tried to collect. Kissing her way back up to her face, she couldn't help but to admire the rosy glow to her cheeks.

"Did you like that?" Layla giggled at feeling Alli's mouth on her neck. It was like a complete transformation. Just a few seconds ago, Alli seemed to be afraid of everything that was happening to her. Now, Layla found herself flipped over on the bed with Alli lying on top of her. Even if she didn't know to distribute her weight on her arms as not to crush her, Layla didn't mind. She didn't mind anything that Alli wanted to do.

Nodding her head, the Alli dug her hands deep into the Layla's hair, something that she had wanted to do all night, and lifted Layla's head to her mouth. "Do you want me to do it to you?"

"Only if you want. You don't have to." Holding Alli's locks back from her face the Layla spoke sincerely.

"I don't know how to do it." Alli admitted dropping her eyes.

Leaning up to remove her own underwear Layla laid back on the pillows watching how Alli looked at her in amazement. She watched as Alli studied her hand as it trailed along the valley of her breasts. She was seemed completely fascinated. Although they had the same body parts, Layla was pretty positive that Alli never paid much attention to her own body before.

Alli couldn't stop looking at the pulse in Layla's neck. It seemed to speed up when her finger tips touched Layla's thigh. Truth be told, she was more than comfortable just feeling Layla's body, noticing every curve and the feel of her silky skin. Alli was at peace with looking at the contrast between their skin tones and the fact that her hand fit the curve of Layla's hip perfectly. She wanted to kiss her body and to rub her face against her chest. She wanted to experience Layla, just not at the risk of making a fool of herself.

Alli dipped her head down to kiss the skin on Layla's stomach. The fine hairs that started just below her navel were of particular interest to her and from that position she could feel the heat that came from her. She wanted to feel more of it.

Closing her eyes against the sensation Layla felt herself starting to squirm under Alli's touch. "Are you sure you've never done this before?" She asked sucking in a breath when Alli's fingers brushed the inside of her thigh. She could feel the soft moisture starting to pool, and her hips twirled involuntarily.

"What do I do?"

Layla wrapped her hand around Alli's dark locks and bit her lip in anticipation. Alli didn't know what it was that she wanted, but Layla definitely did. Her breathing got deeper as soon as she felt Alli's breath on her and without thinking her hips rose toward her. "It's a lot like kissing." She wasn't worried. She had picked up kissing in record time, she was sure that she would be phenomenal at this, too. "Just kiss me."

Layla moaned and dug her fingers deep into Alli's hair. She encouraged her, speaking softly and grinded her hips more to force her to where she needed her. She smiled a lot and told her how good she felt. She praised her and got her to try things that she hadn't thought about. Being with a woman wasn't just one way – like how it was in that movie that she bought her. Being with a woman was about experiencing every nerve, every smell, and every inch of skin that covered her.

It was surreal the way Layla's body moved. Alli was sure that she didn't look like that when the situation was reversed. Layla had this delicate grace in everything that she did. Even the way she gently gripped her hair to the things she said made her more beautiful. She didn't know what she was doing, but Layla didn't seem to mind. She moved her to where she wanted her to go. She arched her body to where she needed to feel her the most. Layla guided Alli's hands to where she wanted them, and she sucked on her fingers in order to prepare them to touch her. She was so sexy. Everything she did was sexy.

And then Layla said her name. She'd never been fond of the name Allin before, but hearing Layla say it, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. That was until Layla let out the softest moan before pushing Alli away. She watched Layla roll to her side and pull her knees her chest, rocking as the sensation overtook her. Alli sat next to her, watching the reaction to her actions. Had she looked that satisfied? Had she looked that at peace? She knew what she felt when the rolls had been reversed, but did it translate on her face?

Layla rolled over to look at Alli, not bothering to hide her smile. Alli looked so confused, like she had no idea what she done to her, or for her. Holding her arms out to the younger woman, Layla closed them around her as her head rested on her chest.

"Was I really bad?" Alli asked quietly feeling the comfort of the other's heartbeat.

Shaking her head, Layla held her close and closed her eyes against the sensation. "If by bad, you mean, not at all? Then yes. That was…wow." She answered kissing the crown of her head.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, still feeling protected and secure against her lover's embrace, Alli had a revelation. She still had no idea if she was, in fact, gay. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that she was now in love with a woman.


	23. Chapter 23

What in the hell had she done

_A/N: Again, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates. I think I figured out how to get out of this corner I painted myself in with this story, though. _

* * *

What in the hell had she done? She knew perfectly well what she had done, but what did it mean now? She didn't consider it the night before. Nor did she think about it waking up this morning. It wasn't until she found herself trying to quietly find her clothes and sneak out, did the realization hit her.

Alli had slept with Layla. No, scratch that. She had potentially ruined the best friendship she had ever had or ever would have by sleeping with Layla. And for what? A few hours of feeling Layla's naked skin again hers? Becoming more intimate with her than she had ever been with another human being on the planet? Were the moments of pure, unadulterated bliss, worth the potential life time of heartache?

She paused for a second as she slid her jeans over her hips to look over at Layla. She was lying on her stomach, and her black curls fanned on the pillow beside her. The white comforter played against the dark skin of her lower back, and when Layla kicked her leg out from under the cover, Alli got the best view of her bear hip. What she felt at the sight wasn't right. Layla was already involved with Shannon. Even if they both hooked up with other people, she was Layla's friend and Shannon's student. Surely that crossed somebody's line somewhere.

But how could what they had done been wrong? The night before, Layla didn't show any signs that she wasn't into what happened between them. She didn't appear to be disgusted by Alli's lack of dating or sexual experience. She didn't think Alli was freakishly quiet, or butch as Maddy often said. Layla told her that she was pretty, and she made her feel beautiful. And it was more than the sex. Sleeping with Layla's arm draped around her, and feeling her breath gently blow on Alli's neck made her feel like she belonged. How could that be wrong? How could Layla just wake up and decide that it was a mistake?

Finding her shoes under the bed, Alli slid her feet into them and quietly crept to the door. She needed to get home, shower and pack her bag for the Smackdown trip. Dealing with this thing with Layla was one thing. Dealing with her father would be something totally different.

* * *

"Where did you go last night?"

Jeff didn't turn around when he heard Chase's voice behind him. Too bad Cami didn't need someone to feed her anymore. If she had, he wouldn't look like he was blatantly ignoring his wife. And it wasn't that he was ignoring her. He just knew that he didn't have a good explanation for not coming home. "I drove around for awhile…then I went over to Matt's."

Chase picked up Cami's sippy cup of juice and carried over to the table to place it before their daughter. Instantly she turned around and looked at Jeff. "You smell like smoke." She wasn't going to say what else he smelled like. They had enough problems dealing with their Cami situation to even go there.

"Matt had some of the guys over." Reaching over to wipe Cami's mouth, Jeff dared a glance at Chase. Her eyes were swollen and being that she was still wearing the clothes from the night before, he guessed that she'd slept in them. That is, if she hadn't been up all night crying. "I kinda just hung out and talked to them." He reached his hand out and touched her arm, before standing up to look at her. "I didn't do anything else. I swear."

"Why'd you leave?" The tears started in the back of her eyes, but she refused to cry. Cami didn't like it when Chase cried, and she refused to make her daughter unhappy. God knows she had enough of listening to her parents argue when she was little. She always felt the need to take a side, even when they didn't ask her to. She'd be damned if she would put Cami in that position, even if she couldn't hear them. "You promised me that we would always work things out. But you left."

Jeff's heart broke into a million pieces. There wasn't anything he could do to justify it. "I just needed to clear my head."

"All night?" She turned around to look at him, but peered over at Cami would was still paying more attention to her pancakes than to them. "Why do you get to leave? You're gone four days a week. We have a fight and you leave again. Jeff, I feel like I'm doing everything. And I know that we don't agree about Cami, but I need you here to at least argue with me about it, until we come to a decision…"

"What was I supposed to do, Chase? You've known for how long that there wasn't anything that could be done for Cami? I found out last night that my little girl will never get any better. Everything I wanted for her, it's not gonna happen, no matter how perfect she is to me." This wasn't Chase's fault. Jeff's own guilt was eating him alive at the moment. There had been many times last night when thought about calling, or coming home. But he hated fighting with her and really that seemed to be all they were doing lately. And to him, he didn't see any end in sight. "I hate this. I really do. I'm tired of fighting. We don't agree on what to do with her. But getting mad at each other ain't helping. The last thing I want is to say something to you that I'm gonna regret or to hurt your feelings."

"And you think walking out on us, didn't hurt?" She searched his face and lowered her eyes, before turning around and walking out of the kitchen.

Jeff stood still and watched her walk into the living room, before he followed after her. "I came back. I'm not your dad, Chase." Trying his best to reassure her, he watched as she shook her head and made her way up the stairs.

* * *

A faint smile tickled her lips, as each fat tear rolled down her cheeks. Each page, each picture, each pose, brought back a memory of a time that she couldn't get past. She was happy then. Happier than she'd ever been. She was pregnant, with what turned out to be the most beautiful baby girl on the planet, and she was engaged to the most perfect man. He was beautiful, gentle, caring. He was everything that she never thought she deserved, but was convinced was given to her to show her that she was worth loving.

But now he was gone.

"I miss you, mijo." X ran her hand over the picture of Miklo ignoring the tears as they dripped from her chin to the page beneath her.

John had seen enough. He stood in the doorway drinking his cup of coffee watching her. She didn't move from her spot. Instead, she slowly flipped through the photos touching each on, smiling and crying and whispering to the pictures. Quietly making his way over to his side of the bed, he lowered himself down and took a deep breath. Without turning toward her, he looked in his coffee cup and spoke. "Why are you marrying me, Ma?"

"What?"

"Why are you marrying me if you ain't over him?" It was a simple assessment. No matter how much fun he and X had, no matter how many arguments, no many how many times they made up, the fact still remained. She was in love with Miklo. "I done everything I can think of. I been the only man that I know how to be, and it ain't good enough."

Confused, se stared at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm marrying you because I love you."

"Do you? Cause I ain't so sure no more." Pulling the book from her lap, John took a second to look at the pictures before closed it and placed it on the table beside him.

Placing her hand on John's chin, she titled his head so that he was looking directly at her. "I love you, John. There's a part of me that will never be over Miklo, but I love _you. _I'm marrying you because I want to be with _you._"

"You just don't want Ave with me." Wrinkling his chin, John shook his head as soon as her eyes lowered. He made his way across the room and leaned against the dresser, folding his arms over his chest. All he could do was to look at her, so small on the bed, hair disheveled, fat tears still rolling down her cheeks. She looked so much like Ave did when he left her downstairs in the kitchen a few minutes before. This adoption was supposed to be a happy time. Not cause the two women in life so much grief. "What I do to make you think I'ma hurt her?"

Carefully licking her lips, she ran her fingers through her hair. How could she say this without hurting John? "It's not you. The idea of spending my life with you makes me happier than I can tell you. But Ave? She already _has_ a father. To make you her father, that means…"

"That's he's gone." Walking over to where she sat, John knelt before her and put her hands in his. "Miklo's dead, Ma. He's been dead for a long ass time. And nothing you can do is gonna bring him back. You can move on, let Ave move on, too."

"She's been all I had left of him for so long. I just got her…I'm not ready to give up what we had. I can't. Miklo is her father. He will always be her father."

"I don't even know him!" Standing in the doorway of her mother's room, Ave narrowed her blue eyes and balled her hands into fists. "Pictures and a few stupid stories doesn't make him my father!"

John lowered his head, and moved away from X. The last thing he needed was for the two of them to go at it. Standing between Ave and the bed, he bent over to look her in the face. "Ave…"

"No, Papi. I'm right. _She_ wants him to be my father, but I don't even know him. He was _her_ boyfriend. He was important to _her._ All _she _knows is Miklo." Breathing in heavily, Ave made a wheezing sound. She angrily wiped her hand across her eyes, but never let then leave X's face. "Why would I want him? _She_ did everything because of _him. She_ gave me up because of _him_."

"Ave stop it…" John interrupted before she went on.

"_She_ lied about being my mom because of _him_."

X jumped off the bed and stormed toward Ave, her face twisted in anger. "No hablar de su padre como eso!" _Don't you talk to about your father like that!_

"She decided to take me back be he would want it. And now she won't let you be my father because _he_ is. Well maybe I don't want her to be my mother anymore, since she only wants to because of _him_!" Turning around Ave ran to her room and slammed the door behind her, leaving John with his head down and X crying uncontrollably on the bed.

* * *

"Hey Alli, it's me. You weren't here when I woke up. I was hoping we could drive to Myrtle Beach together." The covers fell from Layla's body when she reached across the bed to answer her ringing cell phone. "Call me back when you get a chance."

Watching the phone screen light up on her cell with Shannon's number, Layla smiled. It had been two whole days since she had heard from him, and frankly she was starting to miss him. "Where are you?" She asked, folding her legs beneath her, smiling at Shannon's tired voice.

"At the hotel, tryin' to finalize my flight. I'll be home tomorrow. My house still standing?"

"Yes. I even remembered to feed the dogs. But I killed your fish." Standing from the bed, she made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. "You bringing me something back from Tokyo?"

A deep chuckle escaped Shannon's throat at how excited she sounded. Layla had a way of sounding like a little kid when she got excited. It always warmed his heart. "It depends. Were you good?"

"Very. Oh and I have so much to tell you when you get here."

"About what?" He listened to her hum in his ear, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Well where's the fun in that? Look, I've got to get a shower. Call me later?" She nodded when he agreed. "We'll have dinner tomorrow night. I can't wait to see you!"

* * *

Packed and ready to go, Alli pulled her suitcase out of the truck and headed toward the minivan. The last thing she wanted to do was to ride to Myrtle Beach with the guys from her training class, but she didn't have much choice. She didn't want to make that drive by herself, and she wasn't going to call Layla back. That is until she had ample time of think of a good reason for ruining their friendship.

Truthfully she wished that she didn't have to go. When she had gone home Chase looked terrible, even if she was asleep. And Jeff didn't look much better. But given how awkward today was destined to be, she would have much rather stayed home with Jeff and Cami, who were finger painting in the backyard, then potentially run into Layla.

She approached the crowd quietly, making sure to keep her head down. As long as she didn't make eye contact with Derrick, she was sure that he would leave her alone. All she had to do was make it on the van, then she could listen to her iPod for the rest of the trip, asshole avoided. But somehow she found that impossible. No sooner did she look up and greet Shane did she hear that obnoxious whistle come out of Derrick's mouth. This was going to be longest ride in history.

Rolling her eyes at this jerk, and giving him the finger when he blew her a kiss, Alli leaned against the minivan and fished her cell phone out of her pocket. _Home_. Great. As is she didn't have enough pressure on her, now she had to deal with home. "Hello?" She answered quietly, immediately looking at the ground.

"Hey Allstar." Britain's cheery voice came through the other line. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." How she wanted to pour her heart out to Britain at that moment. She just wanted to tell somebody about how she made the biggest mistake of her life by sleeping with Layla and walking out. If nothing else, Britain wouldn't pass judgment, even if she was disappointed in her. But telling her meant that she ran the risk of her father finding out. And that could **not** happen.

Making a doubtful face, Britain checked her appointment book and made a note. "Really? Because I just talked to Jeff and he said you were on your way to Myrtle Beach." She listened to the dead silence on the other end of the phone, and smiled knowingly. "Your dad is there, right?"

"I don't know. I guess." Alli lied, wondering if Britain could tell that she was lying by the way her voice quieted more than usual. "How are the boys?" Hopefully a change in subject would make Britain forget all about her father.

"They're good. Hey, guess what? I got a job! It's small, but there's a boat show coming up and I'm going to be doing some modeling for them." She was so excited that she had to tell someone. X wasn't answering the phone, and she hadn't seen Maddy since the night before. She wanted to tell Dave, but this wasn't the type of thing she really wanted to get into with him over the phone.

Alli could feel her heart stop as soon as she saw Layla's car enter the parking lot of the gym. What the hell had Shane been waiting around for? They should have been on the road by now, making Layla think it was too late to catch a ride. Maybe if she sank further into the side of the minivan she would be invisible. Maybe if she never lifted her eyes in Layla's direction, she wouldn't notice her standing there. Maybe if she didn't get goose bumps at the thought of seeing Layla right now, she could stop feeling like she was going to explode. "That's nice. Congratulations."

"Yeah. We're going to need the extra money around here, with you not having your scholarships anymore, and all." And there it was, perfectly inserted in the conversation without an accusatory tone of voice.

"What?" Why was her world falling apart? Why was everything turning to shit? Was she being punished for sleeping with Layla? Maybe her mom was right, being with another woman was morally wrong. Why else would God be punishing her with Derrick and his stupid comments, Layla walking toward her, Britain finding out about the scholarships, all while being a few hours away from seeing her father? "I - I didn't…"

Did Alli think she was stupid? She'd been dealing with Maddy lying as a way of life for years now. Did Alli really think she could lie and get away with it? "The Admissions counselors called. I know you missed the deadline. What's going on, Alli?"

"Nothing. I can get them back. I just wanted some…Look Britain, I gotta go."

"You need to talk to your father."

"I'll see you on Friday." Alli finished before hanging up the phone. Sliding it back into her pocket, she looked up at the sky to offer a silent prayer that Britain wouldn't tell her dad before she had a chance to. Not that she was planning on telling on this trip or anything, but now she wasn't so sure that she could get through it without doing so.

Layla stood next to Shane, checking her MapQuest directions against his. Not that she was really paying attention to him or anything. She was too busy looking at Alli, noticing the way she was trying to avoid looking back at her. But she was determined. Layla never took her eyes off of Alli, not even when she looked up nervously and immediately cut her eyes away. "Yeah. I'll just follow you, then." She announced in the middle of Shane explaining which exit to get on, before she took a step in Alli's direction.

Could Layla hear her heart pounding? Alli quickly took a glance over at the other guys and saw Derrick blow a kiss at her. Rolling her eyes, she felt them glide back over in Layla's direction. God, she caught her looking, _again_. Going as far to push off the side of the van and turn her back completely to approaching woman, Alli found herself wiping her sweaty palms against her shorts.

This was crazy. She should just turn around and apologize for everything that happened. She still had weeks of class left with Layla and this blip was going to make everything awkward. Forcing herself to turn around, she found herself watching Layla's hips sway as she approached.

Layla wanted to burst out laughing at the uncomfortable expression on Alli's face. She was convince that if she wound the string of the waistband of her shorts any tighter around her finger, Alli was going to pass out from suffocation. But she wouldn't laugh, not when Alli looked so uncomfortable. She kept her eyes trained on her friend, taking the last few steps before she was standing in front of her.

When Alli's eyes finally met Layla's she could feel her cheeks flush. She wondered if the guys would know what she was nervous about if she threw up just then. Her heart was going a million miles a minute and her mouth had suddenly gone dry. But just as quickly as the wave of nausea overtook her, it stopped. Layla smiled at her. People didn't smile when they were pissed off, did they? A smile meant that everything was alright, didn't it? Without giving herself permission to, Alli smiled back.

The awkward glances and sudden smiles didn't go unnoticed by the men standing in the parking lot, either. But luckily for Alli, no one said anything. Not even Derrick, that prick.

"Hey." Layla said quietly, making sure to keep Alli's gaze. "I tried to call you this morning."

Nodding, Alli dug the toe of her flip-flop into the ground. "I didn't hear my phone."

"I was calling to see if you wanted to ride with me? I refuse to ride with Shane. He drives like an idiot. Plus I really don't know where I'm going."

Being alone in a car for hours with Layla sounded like the scariest thing in the world to her. But there was no other place she'd rather be. "I don't think I should."

"I do. We should talk." Picking up Alli's bag, Layla turned toward Shane and shrugged. "Alli's riding with me. We'll follow you." She turned back around to Alli and gave her a genuine smile, before walking back toward her car.

Without further protest, Alli took a deep breath and followed behind her.


End file.
